The makings of Black history – on and under the water

Black History Month is an important time to reflect on some of the remarkable men and women who have changed the course of history — like Matthew Alexander Henson, Joan Murrell Owens, and New York’s very own Thomas Downing. 

This February, however, we are excited to shine a light on Black history that is being made from coast to coast. Join us in getting to know five Black leaders whose work in the marine and maritime spaces is making history right now. These men and women don’t fit the stereotypical mold that our society has assigned to scientists, mariners, and environmentalists (read: middle-aged, white men). Instead, these leaders — and their perspectives — reflect the breadth and diversity of our communities. Their personal contributions, in the face of adversity, are writing a truer history of our waterfront for the next generation of environmental stewards.

Join us in celebrating their efforts to blaze trails (or in this case waterways), challenge the status quo, and reveal lesser known, less discussed aspects of Black history in America.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Alexis is a poet, independent scholar, and activist. She describes herself as a Queer Black Troublemaker, Black Feminist, Love Evangelist, and an aspirational cousin to all sentient beings. She’s the author of Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, a book-length meditation which won a 2022 Whiting Prize for nonfiction. This book speaks to the intertwined destinies of humans and marine mammals. Read this interview in The Nation to learn more, and follow her on Instagram.

PHOTO BY: Sufia Ikbal-Soucet

Captain Zeita Merchant

Zeita is the current Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard in New York. In other words, the safety, security, and sustainability of the largest port on the East Coast rests on her shoulders. Three years ago, she became the second woman to hold this position, and she will soon become the highest-ranking Black woman in the Coast Guard. We love seeing Zeita on Governors Island every June for graduation at the New York Harbor School. In December 2022, this “Hero of the Harbor” awarded Harbor School alum Beni Nedrick with a Meritorious Public Service Award, after he saved seven people from a burning yacht on the Hudson River. Learn more about Zeita in a 2023 Waterfront Alliance Q&A.

Ben “Moody” Harney

Moody is a third-generation New Yorker from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. His fascination with New York City’s rich oyster history, and the legacy of Thomas Downing, led to the creation of The Real Mother Shuckers! The crew at Billion Oyster Project is proud to call Moody a friend, and partners with him to reclaim oyster shells for our reef restoration efforts across NYC. In November 2023, a hybrid documentary called Holding Back The Tide was released to the world, featuring Moody and our Program Outreach Manager, Agata Poniatowski. Read more about this modern-day “Oyster King of New York!”

Kim Macharia

As the Executive Director of Space Prize, Kim might not strike you as a maritime leader. But she is a “steminist” who has developed a newfound passion for being on boats and the water — many thanks to Manhattan by Sail. In addition to launching ambitious initiatives centered around Climate Change, Diversity & Inclusion, and STEM, Kim draws parallels between the vastness of space and our oceans. She is currently co-organizing a Blue Mind Fest (info coming soon), set for May 18, 2024, aimed at celebrating the therapeutic benefits of being in, near, under, or around water. The day will conclude with an award ceremony called "Ripples of Change"!

Kevin Dawson

Kevin is the author of Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora, and a professor of African diaspora and Atlantic history at the University of California, Merced. His book — for which he received the Harriet Tubman Prize in 2019 — explores the West African traditions of swimming, diving, boatmaking, and canoeing. According to Kevin’s examination of water culture in the African diaspora, the aquatic abilities of people of African descent often surpassed those of Europeans and their descendants from the age of discovery until well into the nineteenth century.

The efforts, insights, and successes of Black leaders, like the individuals mentioned above, provide a guiding light for the next generation of marine and maritime professionals. When middle and high school students see authors, professors, restaurateurs, and Coast Guard commanders who look like them, Billion Oyster Project’s mission, vision, and hands-on learning opportunities become a lot more powerful. Who are you following? What have you learned? Tag us at @billionoyster and join us in celebrating BIPOC marine and maritime leaders every day of the year.