Most accounts of the United States’ maritime enterprises are disproportionately populated by white seafarers. Mendocino County Museum is pleased to present a new exhibition that expands that narrative to include the many Black whalers, commercial mariners, fishers, explorers, soldiers, and sailors who traveled along the Pacific Coast and traversed the high seas from the 16th century to the present day. Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific tells the stories of these mariners, their impact in shaping the American Pacific, and their legacy in the context of development of society and identity. Take Me to the Water opens June 4 and will be on view through August 8, 2025.
Importantly, this exhibition recenters the relationship between Black folks, water, and ships. Take Me to the Water moves beyond the entrenched narrative of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and towards the understanding that Black people have not only existed in the Pacific region for centuries, but played an integral role in the development of Pacific economy and society. Visitors will be introduced to the early freedoms some Africans experienced through exploration and service on the high seas, roots of seafaring and surfing that can be traced back to Africa’s western coast, Black labor in shipbuilding, longshoring and other coastal industries, Black folks’ advancements in scientific research, and the exchange of experiences, ideas, and creation of new communities for people of African descent along the Pacific.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Caroline Collins, who charts her interest in Black people’s relationships with water and watercraft to a childhood that included regular visits to Southern California beaches. Dr. Collins is an incoming Assistant Professor at UC San Diego; UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at UC Irvine, an affiliated researcher with the Democracy Lab and the Indigenous Futures Institute at UC San Diego, and is a co-founder of “Black Like Water,” an interdisciplinary research collective at UCSD that highlights Black relationships to the natural world.
The exhibit will open to the public on June 4, 2025 and can be viewed during regular open hours.
Exhibition Support
This project is made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. The exhibition tours through Exhibit Envoy.
About Exhibit Envoy
Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. For more information, visit www.exhibitenvoy.org.
About California Humanities
For over 45 years, California Humanities has helped give voice to voices seldom heard. Through grants and special programs that reach into every corner of our state, we help tell the stories of California. Visit www.calhum.org to learn more.
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Most accounts of the United States’ maritime enterprises are disproportionately populated by white seafarers. Mendocino County Museum is pleased to present a new exhibition that expands that narrative to include the many Black whalers, commercial mariners, fishers, explorers, soldiers, and sailors who traveled along the Pacific Coast and traversed the high seas from the 16th century to the present day. Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific tells the stories of these mariners, their impact in shaping the American Pacific, and their legacy in the context of development of society and identity. Take Me to the Water opens June 4 and will be on view through August 8, 2025.
Importantly, this exhibition recenters the relationship between Black folks, water, and ships. Take Me to the Water moves beyond the entrenched narrative of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and towards the understanding that Black people have not only existed in the Pacific region for centuries, but played an integral role in the development of Pacific economy and society. Visitors will be introduced to the early freedoms some Africans experienced through exploration and service on the high seas, roots of seafaring and surfing that can be traced back to Africa’s western coast, Black labor in shipbuilding, longshoring and other coastal industries, Black folks’ advancements in scientific research, and the exchange of experiences, ideas, and creation of new communities for people of African descent along the Pacific.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Caroline Collins, who charts her interest in Black people’s relationships with water and watercraft to a childhood that included regular visits to Southern California beaches. Dr. Collins is an incoming Assistant Professor at UC San Diego; UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at UC Irvine, an affiliated researcher with the Democracy Lab and the Indigenous Futures Institute at UC San Diego, and is a co-founder of “Black Like Water,” an interdisciplinary research collective at UCSD that highlights Black relationships to the natural world.
The exhibit will open to the public on June 4, 2025 and can be viewed during regular open hours.
Exhibition Support
This project is made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. The exhibition tours through Exhibit Envoy.
About Exhibit Envoy
Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. For more information, visit www.exhibitenvoy.org.
About California Humanities
For over 45 years, California Humanities has helped give voice to voices seldom heard. Through grants and special programs that reach into every corner of our state, we help tell the stories of California. Visit www.calhum.org to learn more.
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