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Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific

  • Description
  • Specs
  • Schedule

Description

Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific reveals the deep and historic connection between people of African descent and the Pacific Ocean.

Most accounts of the United States’ maritime enterprises are disproportionately populated by white seafarers. Yet, from the 16th to the 20th century, Black whalers, commercial mariners, fishers, explorers, soldiers, and sailors traveled along the Pacific Coast and traversed the high seas. The stories of these mariners, their impact in shaping the American Pacific, and their legacy in the context of development of society and identity, are all explored in Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific.

In this old, black-and-white photograph, a number of men stand onboard a ship. The men are are of different ages and races, but primarily white people and Black people.
Black seamen onboard ship [073]. Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection, African American Museum and Library at Oakland.
Capt. and Mrs. William T. Shorey and family studio portrait at Oakland, Calif., after 1886. Courtesy San Francisco Maritime Museum.
West African canoes, c. 1820-1850. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA.

Importantly, this exhibition recenters the relationship between Black folks, water, and ships. Take Me to the Water moves beyond the entrenched narrative of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and towards the understanding that Black people have not only existed in the Pacific region for centuries, but played an integral role in the development of Pacific economy and society

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Caroline Collins, who charts her interest in Black people’s relationships with water and watercraft to a childhood that included regular visits to Southern California beaches. Dr. Collins is an Assistant Professor of Social and Spatial Justice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UC San Diego where she is also affiliated with the Democracy Lab, the Design Lab, the Indigenous Futures Institute, and The Scripps Center for Marine Archeology, and is a co-founder of “Black Like Water,” an interdisciplinary research collective at UCSD that highlights Black relationships to the natural world.

The exhibit’s themes include:

  • African Maritime Traditions: freedom and autonomy on the high seas and African roots of seafaring
  • Journeying into the Pacific: Black conquistadors, the art of navigation, and finding freedom by working at sea
  • Black Labor on Pacific Docks: Pioneers in shipping, WWII-era women shipbuilders, and longshoring and labor movements
  • Engaging with the Natural World: the impact of Black folks’ interactions with the natural world, from hunting to ecology
  • Patrolling the Pacific: discriminatory maritime policies and Black soldiers and sailors on the water
  • Building Communities: how the Pacific Ocean facilitated the exchange of experiences, ideas, and trade goods, and fostered community for people of African descent

This project is made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (visit calhum.org to learn more) and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Specs

Audience:
General
Rental Fee:
$1,500 + shipping for 8 weeks
Size:
750-1,100 sq. ft.
Languages:
English, Spanish (via a binder)
Security:
Limited
Installation Images:
View Here

Exhibit Components:

  • 14 double-sided retractable banners (1 intro banner, 2 banners for each theme, 1 conclusion)
  • 20 objects to help represent the stories in each section, including a 1920s bathing suit; WWII-era mess kit; navigation aids; and raw materials used in shipmaking
  • Tablet and security stand for video loop

Schedule and Availability

Past Dates

January 21, 2024 – March 17, 2024
Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento, CA
September 1, 2024 – October 27, 2024
Northwest Maritime Center and Jefferson Museum of Art & History, Port Townsend, WA
November 17, 2024 – January 12, 2025
Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, Newport, OR
March 23, 2025 – May 18, 2025
San Diego Public Library, San Diego, CA
June 8, 2025 – August 3, 2025
Mendocino County Museum, Willits, CA
August 24, 2025 – October 19, 2025
AVAILABLE
November 9, 2025 – March 22, 2026 (19 weeks)
Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA
April 12, 2026 – June 7, 2026
AVAILABLE
July 12, 2026 – September 6, 2026
AVAILABLE
June 28, 2026 – August 23, 2026
AVAILABLE
September 13, 2026 – November 29, 2026 (11 weeks)
AVAILABLE
January 3, 2027 – February 28, 2027
AVAILABLE
March 21, 2027 – May 16, 2027
AVAILABLE
June 6, 2027 – August 1, 2027
AVAILABLE
August 22, 2027 – October 17, 2027
AVAILABLE
November 7, 2027 – January 2, 2028
AVAILABLE
January 23, 2028 – March 19, 2028
Temecula Valley Museum, Temecula, CA
April 9, 2028 – June 4, 2028
AVAILABLE
June 25, 2028 – August 20, 2028
AVAILABLE
September 10, 2028 – November 5, 2028
AVAILABLE
This exhibition may tour beyond 2028. Contact us to book your spot today!

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