Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1498279
Smithsonian Museum, and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Museum in Montgomery, Alabama are among the recent Cultural/-Heritage sites to join NYC's Apollo Theatre, and other similar venues, reporting over 50% of annual visitors coming from destina- tions outside of the U.S. Today more than ever, travel is all about diversi- ty and inclusion. From city to city there are unique and compelling stories that demonstrate the influence of People of Color. While it may be puz- zling that elected officials in some states are mak- ing efforts to remove references to specific ele- ments of American history as it relates to Blacks in this country, keep in mind that this is not the first time these kinds of alterations or blatant disregard of historical facts have been a major issue of national concern affecting Travel and Tourism. Step back 160 years in time, just outside of what is now MOBILE, ALA- BAMA when 50 years after the U.S. Congress had banned the importa- tion of slaves, the Clotilda, reported- ly the last American Slave Ship, was illegally smuggled into this country with110 enslaved Africans aboard. To hide their crime own- ers of the Clotilda, burned the ship to the ground and sank it in the muddy waters of Mobile Bay River where it remained buried until the wreckage was discovered and the truth revealed in 2015. The sto- ries these 110 Clotilda cargo "passengers," passed down over the generations to their descendants, many who still reside in the histori- cally Black town that is a part of Mobile, known as Africa Town, are the basis for a film that is in the mak- ing. Deemed by the National Geographic Society as one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 21st century, the discov- ery of the Clotilda's remains and the history surrounding it have catapult- ed Africa Town and Mobile on a fast track to possibly become one of the World's major tou- rism attractions. Many attempts were made to suppress and even totally erase from history, recorded acco- unts of the Clotilda. The same is true regarding the Tulsa/Greenwood, Okl-ahoma Deadly Race massacre in 1921, which was one of the better-known mob attacks carried out against Black communities during the 20th century. Rising from the ashes of this well documented incidence of "mass murder on Ameri- can soil, Tulsa's 7,000 square foot Green-wood Rising museum stands as a beacon of hope on the global Stage, attracting visitors from far and near. Through the years the Travel Industry has been challenged to address attempts to lessen, disre- spect or disregard the value of African American heritage and culture. One important occurrence that dramatically changed the picture of BLACK TRAVEL was in 1990. After 3 major racially motivated riots in the city Miami, FL, human rights icon Nelson Mandela was invited to receive a procla- mation and the key to the city. Because Mandela ack-nowledged Fidel Castro for support- ing him during his 30 years of imprisonment, the Miami city leaders riscin- ded the official welcome. This triggered what prominent Miami African American attorney, H.T. Smith refers to as "the Gloria Herbert H.T. Smith Solomon J, Herbert B M & T ••• May/June 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 45