This year we are investigating the story of the Amistad captives. We are shedding light on the incredible story of these illegally enslaved people’s strength and perseverance that eventually led to them being granted their freedom. Fifty-three African natives were captured and shipped across the Atlantic. They successfully mutinied and were eventually brought to a court in Connecticut to try to fight for their freedom in a country they did not understand.

While some Connecticut citizens took up positions against the captives, several key Connecticut natives supported and defended them. They ultimately won their freedom and were able to return home to Sierra Leone.

While most history books glance over these remarkable stories, we hope to bring to light this story of Black strength and resilience.

Because this course is entirely project-based, it gives students the power to investigate what interests them. I found this to be stressful in the beginning because I did not know what I wanted to research. Now that I have spent the past several months researching, I've learned that choosing my topic makes my research so much more rewarding. Additionally, watching all of our work come together in our first short film was beyond satisfying. We hope to continue to build upon this work in order to help others understand the importance of the stories like the men and woman of the Amistad.