Black History on the Ocean: Runaway Slaves Navigating the Waters for Freedom

Dr. Justin Dunnavant will talk to us about how blacks resisted enslavement and used the waterways to navigate their survival and struggle against enslavement. Dunnavant contends that maroon communities were not just land based but also existed on the seas, rivers, lakes, and bayous. Dr. Dunnavant is an anthropologist/archaeologist. As a regular participant in Diving with A Purpose’s Maritime Archaeology Training Program, Justin is developing his skills in maritime archaeology. Working with DWP, he has assisted with the documentation of the Slobodna and Acorn wrecks as well as the search for the slave ship, Guerrero. In addition to his archaeological research, Justin is co-founder and President of the Society of Black Archaeologists, an AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver, and consults for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Slave Wrecks Project. His website is http://www.justindunnavant.com