Open a Door to Close a Circle
Enslaved Angolans Helped Build the US. Now Angola Hopes African Americans will Visit By Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY
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ngolan Ambassador Joaquim do Espírito Santo walked quietly down the path along the Chesapeake Bay. He and his delegation stopped at the lone sign marking where enslaved Angolans were brought ashore more than 400 years ago. There they were told how enslaved Africans helped English colonists survive, built the fort protecting the area, contributed for centuries to the making of the United States. It was one of the last stops Saturday of a trip to the Hampton area exploring connections with the African country thousands of miles away. The visit marked the latest effort by Angolan officials to encourage African Americans to visit their country to learn more about the historical connections and invest in its future. It began with a visit that morning to the cemetery of the Tucker family, who believe they are descendants of those Angolans first to arrive in the region. “I am hopeful that the existing close ties of friendship and cooperation between the government of the Republic of Angola and the government of the United States of America will continue to grow in the years ahead, mutually benefiting our countries and people,” said Espírito Santo. The Hampton trip was planned during February to commemorate the connection and history between Angola and the United States – the month celebrates Black history in the United States and marks the month Angola launched its ‘’liberation struggle’’ from Portugal in 1961, Espírito Santo said. He said the United States was built “by the hands of the first Angolan slaves who arrived here.” “We want to make sure everybody knows the story,’’ he told USA TODAY.
US History of Slavery has Deep Ties to Angola The Hampton connection to Angola dates back to 1619 when a ship, the White Lion, ended up at the shores of an English colony in Virginia. On board were about 20 Africans believed to have been taken from the Ndongo Kingdom in the interior of Angola. The Tuckers, a local family with a long history in the region, believe they are descendants of two of those Angolans – Antony and Isabella. The city of Hampton, the state of Virginia and the country commemorated the 400th anniversary of the ship’s landing in 2019 with festivals, memorials, articles, films and more. Hampton was at the center of many of those activities, as was the site of the ship’s arrival, now Fort Monroe. In the months since those commemorations, Angolan officials have ramped up efforts to highlight the connection between the country and the United States. The Angolan Embassy hosted an event at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in December 2019 to commemorate the 1619 anniversary that featured dancers, music and a salute to the Tucker family. In September, Angola’s President João Lourenço toured the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., where museum officials led him, his wife, Ana Dias Lourenço, and a delegation through exhibits on slavery and the Middle Passage. One exhibit features Angolan Queen Njinga Mbandi, revered for fighting to liberate Angolans from slavery during her mid1600s reign. “The idea is really to keep connections on both sides,’’ Lourenço told USA TODAY after the tour.
48 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | March 2022
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