Black History Month

The impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

\n
That is not to say, however, there were not still vast issues with the system created. Imani Black, shellfish aquaculture biologist and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture<\/a>, discusses this in \u201cWater\u2019s Edge: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay,\u201d a documentary for PBS<\/a>. She explains that Black Americans were pushed to the coasts as a result of practices steeped in prejudice and racism, and thus they learned how to live and work with the water out of necessity. Further, working on the water was not easy for African Americans. In 1836, a law was passed<\/a> attempting to prohibit and restrict Black Americans from laboring on the water. While white captains and watermen often ignored this decree due to the crucial contributions of Black watermen, this law promoted additional segregation, economic oppression, and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

\n
Black watermen worked across the entirety of the Bay\u2019s water industry as skilled tradesmen and innovators<\/a>. Black women often were employed in crab picking and oyster shucking, while Black men worked on the water as shipbuilders and crew, in addition to hauling freight and captaining ships. Entering the water industry was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first ways Black Americans could earn a wage. However, being a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay offered more than just a path to freedom and compensation. For many, living at the water\u2019s edge was a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say, however, there were not still vast issues with the system created. Imani Black, shellfish aquaculture biologist and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture<\/a>, discusses this in \u201cWater\u2019s Edge: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay,\u201d a documentary for PBS<\/a>. She explains that Black Americans were pushed to the coasts as a result of practices steeped in prejudice and racism, and thus they learned how to live and work with the water out of necessity. Further, working on the water was not easy for African Americans. In 1836, a law was passed<\/a> attempting to prohibit and restrict Black Americans from laboring on the water. While white captains and watermen often ignored this decree due to the crucial contributions of Black watermen, this law promoted additional segregation, economic oppression, and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

\n
The path to working in the Chesapeake Bay for African Americans was shaped by the growing demand for maritime labor in the 1800s, which led to Maryland offering pseudo-freedom to enslaved persons living and working in the Bay. This was due to the issuing of Seamen\u2019s Protection Certificates, which allowed Black watermen to be classified as citizens as early as sixty-seven years before the Emancipation Proclamation was disseminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
\u00a9<\/em> Maryland Sea Grant Publication<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBlack watermen worked across the entirety of the Bay\u2019s water industry as skilled tradesmen and innovators<\/a>. Black women often were employed in crab picking and oyster shucking, while Black men worked on the water as shipbuilders and crew, in addition to hauling freight and captaining ships. Entering the water industry was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first ways Black Americans could earn a wage. However, being a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay offered more than just a path to freedom and compensation. For many, living at the water\u2019s edge was a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say, however, there were not still vast issues with the system created. Imani Black, shellfish aquaculture biologist and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture<\/a>, discusses this in \u201cWater\u2019s Edge: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay,\u201d a documentary for PBS<\/a>. She explains that Black Americans were pushed to the coasts as a result of practices steeped in prejudice and racism, and thus they learned how to live and work with the water out of necessity. Further, working on the water was not easy for African Americans. In 1836, a law was passed<\/a> attempting to prohibit and restrict Black Americans from laboring on the water. While white captains and watermen often ignored this decree due to the crucial contributions of Black watermen, this law promoted additional segregation, economic oppression, and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

\n
In Maryland, a storied history exists between African Americans and the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America<\/a>, has been a robust place of employment for watermen\u2014a term that encompasses both women and men\u2014since the 1600s. In the mid-1800s, that occupation, previously only open to white watermen, was extended to African Americans, who took on roles such as captains, fishermen, oystermen, and owners of seafood processing plants and restaurants. Their labor and contributions transformed the Chesapeake Bay<\/a>. To this day, the Bay is renowned for its rich seafood and maritime industry due to the innovative thinking and hard work of Black watermen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The path to working in the Chesapeake Bay for African Americans was shaped by the growing demand for maritime labor in the 1800s, which led to Maryland offering pseudo-freedom to enslaved persons living and working in the Bay. This was due to the issuing of Seamen\u2019s Protection Certificates, which allowed Black watermen to be classified as citizens as early as sixty-seven years before the Emancipation Proclamation was disseminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
\u00a9<\/em> Maryland Sea Grant Publication<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBlack watermen worked across the entirety of the Bay\u2019s water industry as skilled tradesmen and innovators<\/a>. Black women often were employed in crab picking and oyster shucking, while Black men worked on the water as shipbuilders and crew, in addition to hauling freight and captaining ships. Entering the water industry was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first ways Black Americans could earn a wage. However, being a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay offered more than just a path to freedom and compensation. For many, living at the water\u2019s edge was a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say, however, there were not still vast issues with the system created. Imani Black, shellfish aquaculture biologist and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture<\/a>, discusses this in \u201cWater\u2019s Edge: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay,\u201d a documentary for PBS<\/a>. She explains that Black Americans were pushed to the coasts as a result of practices steeped in prejudice and racism, and thus they learned how to live and work with the water out of necessity. Further, working on the water was not easy for African Americans. In 1836, a law was passed<\/a> attempting to prohibit and restrict Black Americans from laboring on the water. While white captains and watermen often ignored this decree due to the crucial contributions of Black watermen, this law promoted additional segregation, economic oppression, and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

\n
Against the horizon, the Bald Cypress stretches towards a sun-drenched sky. Its trunk bloats with the water of the Chesapeake Bay, a water-logged home to a lone copperhead, who curls against the knees of the tree. This is not the first creature to find refuge in the Cypress, whose roots have known this water for nearly one hundred years. Turtles and wood ducks, raccoons and egrets all have called the Bald Cypress swamp home. Along the Chesapeake watershed, life finds new ways to sustain itself. The endeavors of those who make their living by the water's edge, especially the Black Americans who have called the Chesapeake Bay home for centuries, stand as a testament to this resilience. The Black watermen of the Chesapeake, much like the Bald Cypress, remain revered symbols of the Bay to this day. Their invaluable contributions to the industry are nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Maryland, a storied history exists between African Americans and the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America<\/a>, has been a robust place of employment for watermen\u2014a term that encompasses both women and men\u2014since the 1600s. In the mid-1800s, that occupation, previously only open to white watermen, was extended to African Americans, who took on roles such as captains, fishermen, oystermen, and owners of seafood processing plants and restaurants. Their labor and contributions transformed the Chesapeake Bay<\/a>. To this day, the Bay is renowned for its rich seafood and maritime industry due to the innovative thinking and hard work of Black watermen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The path to working in the Chesapeake Bay for African Americans was shaped by the growing demand for maritime labor in the 1800s, which led to Maryland offering pseudo-freedom to enslaved persons living and working in the Bay. This was due to the issuing of Seamen\u2019s Protection Certificates, which allowed Black watermen to be classified as citizens as early as sixty-seven years before the Emancipation Proclamation was disseminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
\u00a9<\/em> Maryland Sea Grant Publication<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBlack watermen worked across the entirety of the Bay\u2019s water industry as skilled tradesmen and innovators<\/a>. Black women often were employed in crab picking and oyster shucking, while Black men worked on the water as shipbuilders and crew, in addition to hauling freight and captaining ships. Entering the water industry was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first ways Black Americans could earn a wage. However, being a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay offered more than just a path to freedom and compensation. For many, living at the water\u2019s edge was a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say, however, there were not still vast issues with the system created. Imani Black, shellfish aquaculture biologist and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture<\/a>, discusses this in \u201cWater\u2019s Edge: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay,\u201d a documentary for PBS<\/a>. She explains that Black Americans were pushed to the coasts as a result of practices steeped in prejudice and racism, and thus they learned how to live and work with the water out of necessity. Further, working on the water was not easy for African Americans. In 1836, a law was passed<\/a> attempting to prohibit and restrict Black Americans from laboring on the water. While white captains and watermen often ignored this decree due to the crucial contributions of Black watermen, this law promoted additional segregation, economic oppression, and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these barriers, African Americans changed and propelled the industry forward. Their resilience led to the creation of an incredible communication network. The winding rivers and bustling water passages became a way for Black Americans to pass information and messages through ports. Through this system, they were able to stay informed on what was happening abroad as well as within the United States. This was how those who had secured their freedom through the water industry were able to devise strategies<\/a> for enslaved persons to flee secretly via boat passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black watermen used a lantern code to signal if boats had fugitive enslaved African Americans on board. They would then exchange passengers under the cover of night on the still waters of the Chesapeake before returning to their ports. From there, the escaped enslaved Black Americans would travel through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman herself grew up on a Maryland plantation by the Chesapeake Bay. While laboring on the docks, she engaged with a group of Black watermen<\/a>, forming connections and discovering the astonishing system of networking they had created. It was through the information Tubman learned from these Black maritime workers that she was ultimately able to escape. Once free, she used those connections to send messages back and forth to those still enslaved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"black$
Captain Tyrone Meredith of Queen Anne's County \u00a9 Jay Fleming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe impact of the Black watermen continues to be felt today. In the Chesapeake region, generations of Black watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, dedicate their lives<\/a> to preserving the legacy of their forebears. Captain Meredith has worked in the industry for 40 years and is a fifth-generation waterman, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and ancestors. Today, his work as a skipjack captain ensures the spirit and hard work of the Black watermen live on. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is another source dedicated to preserving this history of the Black watermen; they initiated the African American Watermen Project<\/a>, which documents the culture and history of African American watermen in the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the many challenges and barriers they faced, the Black watermen of the Chesapeake Bay made indelible marks on both the water industry and U.S. history. Their tenacity, innovation, and unyielding spirit continue to inspire generations. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us honor and remember their contributions\u2014not just in the context of their time, but as a testament to the enduring power of community, resilience, and self-determination. The legacy of the Black watermen is a shining beacon of hope and excellence, reminding us that the waters they navigated are still filled with stories of courage and triumph that resonate to this day.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"black-history-month-spotlight-the-black-watermen-of-the-chesapeake-bay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-14 16:53:32","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-14 22:53:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/immerse.gowpi.org\/?p=1028","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

Black History Month

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Black History Month

Black History Month Spotlight: The Black Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay

by Malorie Hendrix
February 14, 2025

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