During Black History Month, it is worthwhile to remember early African-American shipmasters. Who was the first? That is hard to say. Paul Cuffe is a good candidate. An updated repost.
Paul Cuffe was born on Cuttyhunk Island, MA on January 17, 1759, the seventh of ten children of Kofi or Cuffe Slocum and Ruth Moses. His father, a free black man, was a member of the Ashanti people of Ghana. His mother was a Native American of the Wampanoag Nation of Martha’s Vineyard. Cuffe Slocum was a skilled carpenter, farmer, and fisherman, who taught himself to read and write. In 1766, Cuffe Slocum was able to purchase a 116-acre farm in Westport, Massachusetts.
Paul Cuffe went to sea at 16 on whalers and merchant ships, where he learned navigation. During the American Revolution, his ship was captured by the British and Cuffe was imprisoned for three months in 1776 in New York. He returned home to Massachusetts and in 1779 built an open boat that he used to run the British blockade, bringing trade goods to Nantucket and ports on the Massachusetts coast.
The 
On Sunday evening, anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck the 
Here is a story well worth retelling; an updated repost in honor of Black History Month; the remarkable story of Robert Smalls.
Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, here is an updated repost about 
In August 2022, 
In honor of Black History Month, an updated repost about the first African-American pilot in the US Navy, 
An updated repost in honor of Black History Month. 
The good news is that a pod of orcas trapped by drift ice in waters off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido appears to have successfully escaped.