(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) Audri Scott Williams, global peace advocate and visionary for Redemption Voyage 2026
The Second of 3 Ceremonies to Honor Enslaved Ancestors Prior to the Launch of Redemption Voyage 2026 to be Held in Hampton, VA on June 16th
Americans of African descent have a challenging time finding our“place” due to the scars of slavery, discrimination, and violence.” - Audri Scott Williams, global peace advocateHAMPTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, June 13, 2023/einpresswire.com / -- In 2000, Audri Scott Williams, the first woman to lead a global walk for Human Rights and Environmental Justice, led a group of six on a three-month walk on the Appalachian Trail where escaped slaves sought freedom along with Native Americans. The group walked on the famous“Trail of Tears” that took place from 1831 to 1850. Williams and her group“reversed the energy,” calling their walk,“The Trail of Dreams.”
In 2002, the walkers traveled to Ghana, Cape Coast, and Elmina in West Africa, the site of slave dungeons where stolen Africans were sold into slavery and forced onto ships that sailed the transatlantic slave trade routes. Between 10 million to 12 million enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas.
From 2005-2009, the group embarked on an“impossible journey,” walking around the world and traversing 17 countries, including India and Australia.
On June 16th, Williams will continue honoring enslaved ancestors with the second of 3 ceremonies prior to the launch of another epic journey, Redemption Voyage 2026, redeeming what was lost during a brutal past, this time traveling by sea from America to Africa.
Williams launched the initiative with a ceremony on April 14th in Africatown, a historic community located north of Mobile, Alabama. It was formed in 1860 by a group of 110 West Africans who were bought and transported against their will aboard the Clotilda in the last known illegal shipment of enslaved Africans to the United States.
On June 16th, Williams will gather at Buckroe Beach to conduct a second ceremonial offering to enslaved African ancestors who were on the first ship to land in the U.S at Fort Monroe (formerly Old Point Comfort) in 1619 in Hampton, VA,
The enslaved Africans who survived the Middle Passage were on the ship, White Lion. A day later, the slave ship, Treasurer, landed. Later that afternoon, Williams, accompanied by peacewalkers Karen Hunter Watson, Nef'fahtiti and Ricardo Myrick; Queen Mothers Muhjah Shakir and Christine Wyche; Production Coordinator, Mikuak Rai; and Voyager Coordinator, Kelly Wyche will tour the Hampton University Museum. On June 17th, the group will visit the 1619 African Landing Memorial.
Under the auspices of 20 Million Women Strong, Williams intends to provide an opportunity for the continued healing of the wounds from the dehumanization of Americans of African descent.
With the goal of developing Digital Griots to be future leaders and content creators for a sustainable, thriving future for all, in 2026, nine young women and nine young men between ages 21 and 28, of African descent, from America, will set sail for the West Coast of Africa and culture on a commissioned ship. The students will be selected from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Their stories will be shared worldwide as they learn to navigate, collect water samples from the ocean, and document their experiences by utilizing advanced technology. They will bring the world with them to Benin, Ghana, The Gambia, Goree Island, and Senegal, where they will be welcomed by elders and reunited with family. When they return, they will share their experiences through group-based, transformative dialogue.
According to Williams,“Our mission is to create access to careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. We are incorporating an advanced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering Arts, and Math) training and development initiative which will be utilized for digital storytelling and scientific ocean water sampling to determine the impact of toxins on ocean water, ocean life, navigation, and arts
“It is also important that 2026 marks the 250th Anniversary of America's founding. Americans of African descent have a challenging time finding our“place” due to the scars of slavery, discrimination, and violence.”
The Redemption Voyage 2026 will kick off in Mobile, in November of 2026, sailing to Benin where the crew will step onto the shores of Quidah, effectively reversing the course of the Clotilda.
Among the outcomes that Williams envisions include a traveling exhibit that will inspire those living in the African diaspora; exhibits at DC's African American Museum and Ghana's Pan African Heritage Museum; and a book series with a curriculum for schools.
To learn more, visit . Interested press can call Edith Billups at 240 731-0159 or email .
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