Overheard at National Geographic

Episode: Playback: Rooting, from Into the Depths

Date: June 20, 2023
Host/Narrator: Tara Roberts
Theme: Exploring Ancestry, Connection to the Past, and the Search for Slave Shipwrecks

Episode Overview

This episode, “Rooting,” from the podcast series Into the Depths by National Geographic, follows explorer and narrator Tara Roberts as she dives into both metaphorical and literal depths of Black American history. Tara traces her family’s ancestry, draws connections to Africatown—a community of Clotilda descendants in Alabama—and ponders the significance of knowing where we come from. The episode artfully connects personal discovery, collective trauma and healing, and the rediscovery of overlooked American history, centered on the recovered last-known slave ship, Clotilda.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Power of Knowing Ancestry

• Tara’s Journey to Her Roots: Tara travels to Edenton, North Carolina, her mother’s hometown, to explore her family estate and examine what connects her to this land (01:21). She reflects on her childhood experience of the place and wonders about the possibility of her own deeper connection.
• Africatown's Unique Heritage: Residents of Africatown, Alabama, know their ancestors arrived on the Clotilda, the last documented slave ship to bring Africans to the US (05:16). Their stories have been preserved and passed down through generations.
  • Quote: "The descendants grew up hearing the stories of how their family had reached Alabama from what is present day Benin and Nigeria." — Tara Roberts (06:03)
• Collective Trauma and Ritual: Tara builds on previous discussions of how rituals and connections to ancestors can aid in healing collective trauma (01:21).

The Story of Clotilda and Africatown

• History of the Clotilda: Details on the illegal 1859 voyage bringing enslaved Africans from Benin/Nigeria to Mobile, Alabama, despite the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade (06:18).
  • Quote: “Only 110 made it onto the Clotilda. One was Khosala, later given the enslaved name Cujo.” — Tara Roberts (07:31)
  • The survivors pooled funds after emancipation to buy land and found Africatown—showing resilience and community-building (09:01-10:46).
  • Quote: “They had the brilliance and the intellect and the passion and the wherewithal to do all of those things. ... If that doesn’t motivate you ... then I don’t know what will.” — Jeremy Ellis (10:46)

Genealogy and the ‘1870 Brick Wall’

• Limitations of Historical Records: Due to lack of pre-1870 official documentation, tracing African American lineage beyond emancipation is a challenge (15:31-16:04).
  • Quote: “The problematic date in the research is 1870... before it, enslaved African Americans were not officially documented by name, age, gender or otherwise.” — Tara Roberts (15:31)
• Tara’s Experience with a Genealogist: With Renata Yarborough Sanders’ help, Tara learns about her great-great-grandpa Jack, lands he owned post-emancipation, and his involvement in the Civil War (27:13-28:20, 27:47).
  • Quote: “Not only does this bring up feelings of pride for me about Jack and my family, but it makes him feel like a real human being.” — Tara Roberts (28:27)

Rediscovered Narratives: Harriet Jacobs and the Maritime Underground Railroad

• Local History Connection: Tara discovers that Harriet Jacobs, an Edenton native, escaped slavery on the Maritime Underground Railroad and published her account Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.
  • Quote: “She essentially hid out in her grandmother's attic for about almost seven years before she was able to escape on a ship dressed as a sailor on the Maritime Underground Railroad.” — Charles Boyette (23:01)
• Underreported Histories: Tara laments not learning about Jacobs or the Clotilda as a child, reflecting on the impact such stories could have had.

The Search for the Clotilda

• The Archaeological Hunt: Led by Jim Delgado and Fred Hebert, with Diving with a Purpose (DWP) members, the search for the physical wreck was rigorous and community-driven.
  • False leads and environmental challenges delayed discovery, but eventually, wood sample analysis confirmed the Clotilda’s identity (17:00-21:20).
  • Quote: “...it’s a time capsule of sorts that has been cracked open. When you are in that space and you see how small it is, very tangibly ... gives you a glimpse of just what happened here.” — Jim Delgado (21:20)

Relevance for Today and the Future

• Connecting the Past and Present: Discussions reveal how unearthing these histories is critical to understanding America’s foundations and healing rooted trauma.
  • Quote: “If we’re not aware of these stories, ... in order for us to go forward with a sense of justice, a sense of honesty, ... we have to tell the whole story.” — Kamau Siddiqui (26:36)
• Expanding the Work: The need for continued resources and the vision for more Black divers and communities to engage in discovery and preservation (36:51-37:51).
  • Quote: “We would like to train individuals, particularly young people, to have the skill sets to do this kind of work.” — Kamau Siddiqui (37:10)

Intergenerational Connection and Hope

• Family as Pride and Anchor: Tara’s relatives and local community connections offer a sense of belonging and pride, shifting her perception of her heritage's value (32:12-32:40).
• Empowering the Next Generation: Honest, open dialogue with her nieces about the painful and proud parts of history, and envisioning more inclusive, nuanced storytelling in schools and society (38:30-40:09).
  • Quote: “When you get older, you'll be able to tell people that you had this cool aunt and she did all this stuff ... I wish I could do it, but I still got school to finish up.” — Tara’s niece (39:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you're not connected to your ancestors, it's like you always going to be wondering, lost, misguided, not knowing what direction you should be taking." — Kamau Siddiqui (03:08)
• "It feels good to be looking." — Tara Roberts, on her genealogical journey (16:32)
• "It's a very sobering and terrible place to be. And yet it serves as tangible physical evidence ... of the ability of this site to continue to help tell this story." — Jim Delgado, on diving the Clotilda wreck (21:20)
• "The words of Lonnie Bunch III, now Secretary of the Smithsonian, still ring in my ears. ... Do you think it matters to know that kind of history where we came from?" (38:30)
• "All migration or movement or journeys aren't all traumatizing. They actually are creating and reforming and rebuilding. ... It's adaptive, too." — Renata Yarborough Sanders (35:49)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:21 – Tara arrives at her family estate, introduces the theme of rooting and ancestry.
• 05:16 – Introduction to Africatown descendants and their stories.
• 06:18-09:01 – Account of the Clotilda voyage and its aftermath.
• 10:46 – Jeremy Ellis on the resilience of Clotilda survivors.
• 15:09-16:32 – Challenges in genealogical research (“1870 brick wall”).
• 17:00-21:20 – The archaeological search and discovery of the Clotilda wreck.
• 23:01-25:14 – Harriet Jacobs’ escape and the Maritime Underground Railroad.
• 26:36 – Kamau Siddiqui on the necessity of telling the Clotilda story.
• 27:13-28:27 – Tara receives news about her ancestor’s history.
• 32:12-32:40 – Tara bonds with extended family in Edenton during Juneteenth.
• 36:51-37:51 – The future vision for Diving with a Purpose (DWP) and community-led discovery.
• 38:30 – Reflections on the importance of knowing and teaching this history.
• 40:09 – Tara’s niece expresses pride and excitement about their shared legacy.

Concluding Reflection

Rooting interweaves sweeping historic narratives with one woman’s personal quest for belonging, pride, and understanding. By the end, Tara, once ambivalent about her roots, feels grounded in her heritage and hopeful for future generations to grow ever deeper roots through honest storytelling, commemoration, and discovery.

For more information, resources, and educational tools, visit natgeo.com/intothedepths.