Discovering Amistad says COVID-19 delayed progress

Famed schooner was booked solid before coronavirus pandemic

This spring would have been the turning point for Discovering Amistad, according to Executive Director Len Miller.

He said the schooner was booked solid with programs scheduled across the state and a monthlong visit to Hartford this fall. Organizations, schools and businesses had pledged financial support for the program, bolstering the $265,000 in state aid Discovering Amistad received in the current budget and is slated to receive in 2020-21.

Since acquiring the ship in 2015, Discovering Amistad had battled to overcome the reputation of the ship’s previous owner, Amistad America, which was bankrupt and lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file tax returns. When the state, which funded much of the ship’s construction, finally took over the schooner, Amistad America owed $2.2 million to a long list of creditors, including small businesses and individuals who never were paid.

Discovering Amistad set about to revamp its educational programming and sought out new sponsors, with the eventual goal of not needing state funding. It also pledged to keep the ship in the state and avoid the costly trips Amistad America had taken to far-flung destinations such as Africa and the Caribbean.

But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the programs, including those with 12 school districts, had to be canceled.

“Sadly, this virus created numerous problems for us but I don’t want to complain when you see its effect on the world,” Miller said. “The shame is how we had worked so hard to come back from the previous organization. We had worked so hard to make this happen.”

He said one of the big initiatives was the start of its Leadership Academy, in which it will work in conjunction with educational institutions such as the Sound School in New Haven and Mitchell College in New London.

Miller said the program for high school students, which is sponsored by the Scripps Foundation, has been converted to an online program for this year. The free program will run July 13-24 and cover topics such as the 1839 Amistad uprising, nonviolent activism, leadership, teamwork, oppression, privilege and equality. Information and registration can be found at bit.ly/ amistadla2020.

With school systems indicating they would not be willing to let students go aboard the ship this fall due to coronavirus concerns, the ship will remain at Mystic Seaport for the remainder of the year and the crew has been dismissed.

Miller said plans are to relaunch the ship next April and have it spend May 2021 in Hartford. Miller said sponsors have remained on board.

While Miller said remote learning is not the same, he said Discovering Amistad board members have dreamed of creating a remote learning program to bring its story and programs to those outside of Connecticut. He said remote learning now will remain part of the organization’s programs.