Opening of The Wanderer Memory Trail
The Jekyll Island Authority hosts an afternoon of remembrance to officially open the Wanderer Memorial Trail. The trail tells the story of the survivors of the Wanderer, the last known slave ship to land in Georgia and also one of the last known slave ships to arrive in the United States. The trail is located along the banks of the Jekyll River, where the Wanderer illegally came ashore in 1858, with more than 400 enslaved Africans on board.
Attendees will be invited to experience the new trial and staff members from the Jekyll Island History Department and the Jekyll Island Museum will be on hand to assist with interpretation of the exhibits. Each participant will be given a lighted candle to carry along the pathway, to honor the enslaved Africans who were illegally smuggled to America on the Wanderer 160 years ago. The ceremony will also feature performances by the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters.