Five heritage trails you should tour to learn about African American history

Wanderer Memory Trail

Wanderer was the second-last known slave ship to land on America’s shores and thus the Wanderer Memory Trail tells the story of the survivors of the ship that docked at  Jekyll River, Georgia.

The trail focuses on the story of Umwalla,  a young African boy captured by slave traders and smuggled into America from his Central African village 160 years ago this month.

The Wanderer, which was built as a luxury ship, was used to illegally smuggle slaves into America. It carried about 500 slaves in 1858 even though America had outlawed the business almost half a century before that.

The trail also features performances by the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, who are descendants of African slaves.  Guests will be given lit candles to commemorate the survivors of the ship as well as those who died at sea. The candles are extinguished at the end of the trail after observing a minute of silence.