Descendant

Contrary to widely held belief, just because the US slave trade was outlawed in 1808, that didn't end attempts to continue to import African slaves thereafter. It wasn't until 1860, when the last slave ship, the Clotilde, entered American waters with a hold full of slaves that the practice finally came to an end. And, to conceal this crime, which was punishable by death, the perpetrators scuttled the ship by burning it upon arrival. The location of the wreckage long remained a mystery until a diving team found it in shallow water just north of Mobile, AL in 2018-19. But the discovery was more than just an archaeological curiosity; it was also significant to the descendants of the Clotilde slaves, many of whom settled in a nearby community called Africatown when they achieved freedom after the Civil War in 1865. Those living today now have actual proof of their African lineage, as well as evidence of the crime that was committed against their ancestors. Director Margaret Brown's fourth feature outing explores this story from multiple angles in terms of its historic and personal importance, as well as from all of the fallout that stemmed from their ancestors' experience that has carried through to this day. Given the myriad threads presented in this documentary, the focus admittedly could have been a little tighter in spots, particularly in terms of how the narrative's many dots connect. But, that aside, the film effectively chronicles a little-known story that represents a significant benchmark in African-American history and a potential turning point in terms of how the American public at large views the question of this appalling institution and its after-effects, some of which have lingered but have gone virtually unaddressed and, arguably, even unrecognized all these years. This is a fine film that should be part of every grade school history class and a welcome addition to African-American History Month viewing.

I found this to be a fascinating documentary, that held my attention throughout. That said, it left me with some unanswered questions, in part because of its format, which focused on interviews with people who lived in Africatown, near where the Clotilda, evidently the last slave ship to arrive in the United States, landed. I can completely understand why the director and producer would want to give these people a chance to express their views and feelings. They had been ignored for so long. And I know that documentaries can only be so long before viewers start to turn out and off. But I would have liked more background about a variety of issues. Do we know anything about the Clotilda's route to the States? Do we know where in Africa it left from? Have any of the descendants taken DNA tests that would help with this? What was life like for the descendants of the original slaves between the time of Emancipation and today? And on and on. None of that is a criticism of the movie, which I enjoyed very much. But because the story it told is so interesting, it left me wanting to know so much more.

I'm so happy to see people came together as one to put this beautiful documentary together it's truly a blessing but sad to see what happened was kept secreted for a long period of time but I am here to say what have been kept secret was also brought to light It's crazy to see how all theses stories that have been talked about among us still haven't had the clarification it needs today together we will stand up and fight for them to be heard no matter how long it might take us 💯✊🏾 It's important for us to know our history and for our younger generation to know who we are and what we stand for.

Hollywood fan of history and true events movies. This is for you dear. It elaborates the most tragic event in the history of United States of America, despite of being war with the Latin Americans (Red Indians) there is also a painful history of black Africans who were brought from Africa forcefully into the strange lands of America and become the slaves of white people. Most of them were also killed and separated from their families and even the children of africans faced these traumatic events at that time. After that a long struggle was started which gives them a little bit freedom but there are still lives who are waiting for justice.

This is truly, deeply, sincerely an important piece of US History and an amazing story. The Clotilda and Africatown are remarkable and should be revered. The Clotilda is an extremely rare find that should be a National Monument. But of course - this represents a lot more than just the story of a ship! I live in Mobile. I know these places! There have been a couple of documentaries now, about the Clotilda - and I have been excited to see them both; however, unfortunately - I don't think anyone has quite hit the mark yet when it comes to telling and presenting this story with the impact it deserves, but this wasn't bad - I enjoyed it - the story and the people are incredible - but I'm still waiting for a Clotilda show that tells it all with the passion and excitement to do this justice.