Journey of the São José: Changes to Maritime Exhibit at National Museum of African American History and Culture
A museum exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., showcasing the maritime journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas will undergo changes as a remnant from one of the first sunken slave ships ever recovered is set to be removed from display. The timber piece from the slave ship São José-Paquete de Africa will be returned to its home museum in South Africa after being on loan to the Smithsonian museum since 2016. A special crate will be built to transport the delicate artifact back to South Africa.
The timber piece, weighing 33 pounds, has been a prominent feature in the museum's "Slavery and Freedom" exhibit, suspended over a dark void with a ballast at its side. The loan agreement for the artifact was initially for five years and was extended for another five years until July 1, 2021. Other items from the ship, including ballasts used as counterweights for human cargo, will remain on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years. A cargo manifesto will replace the timber piece, and the last day for visitors to see it on display is March 22.
The São José, a Portuguese ship carrying over 400 captives from Mozambique to Brazil, sank off the coast of Cape Town in December 1794, with half of the people aboard perishing. The ship was recovered in 2015 and identified through the Slave Wrecks Project as associated with the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The exhibit at the museum focuses on the Middle Passage, a treacherous part of the journey where many captives died, shedding light on the conditions of transport and artifacts like shackles.
The decision to remove the timber piece from the exhibit is unrelated to the review of historical displays at federal parks and museums initiated by President Donald Trump's administration. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the institutions named in the executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The museum's deputy director emphasized that the change is solely related to the loan agreement and conservation needs of the artifact.
Visitors to the museum have expressed the profound impact of the exhibit featuring the slave ship timber, with many acknowledging the emotional weight and historical significance of the display. The tangible nature of the artifact has brought the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to life for visitors, evoking feelings of empathy, sadness, and anger. Despite the removal of the timber piece, the museum staff aims to ensure that the exhibit continues to resonate with visitors through the remaining artifacts and displays, preserving the powerful narrative of the enslaved Africans' journey.