| 1 |
Oh! I am sorry I didn’t see you there. I am here to receive my skipper's license. Do you know where I need to go? I am a bit lost. |
| 2 |
Thank you so much. Are you going this way too? By any chance, aren’t you one of the officers who oversee the test, or are you here to receive a license too? |
| 3 |
I hope I will do well on this test. I have the feeling many officers have a problem with me. Don’t ask me why. I am a perfectly pleasant fellow. So what is the first test subject? Ship mechanics? |
| 4 |
Finally, I received the license. Don’t ask how many times I tried. I have a license from the UK. I studied at the Nautical College in Wales. But here, that doesn’t mean much for a guy like me. |
| 5 |
My dad was a shipbuilder. Since I was a kid, I have wanted to be a sailor. I didn’t know back then how hard it would be. Do you have a free spot on your ship? I will take just about anything. |
| 6 |
Thanks, but I am not a fisherman. The Black Star Line has offered me a job. I will be working as a steward on one of their liners. The pay isn’t much, but it will do for starters. |
| 7 |
Marcus Garvey is the founder of Black Star Line. He is an influential black man and he is trying to improve the situation of people like us. |
| 8 |
Marcus established UNIA. That’s an organization working on improving black people’s situation by uniting all with African ancestry. I agreed to join but don’t wholly condone some of their methods. |
| 9 |
I have been stationed on the SS Yarmouth, the first Black Star Line vessel. But she is not in the best condition. Marcus purchased her as a used ship and didn’t invest in enough repairs. |
| 10 |
Marcus plans to buy more old ships for the Line. I hope he will choose better this time. Maybe give him some tips on that. I know he wants to save money, but it shouldn’t be at the risk of lives. |
| 11 |
We spent quite a bit of money on the new ships. They still look a bit shabby, but maybe it’s just the outside. Now we are looking for a crew for the new vessels. |
| 12 |
We are sailing to Cuba with a cargo of whiskey. It’s a very lucrative cargo right now. Some say that prohibition is at the door. We better make money from alcohol while we can. Legally I mean. |
| 13 |
There was an accident on one of the other ships of the Black Star Line. The boiler exploded and one man died. It seems those ships were not fit for service after all. |
| 14 |
That job in Cuba did not go so great either. We had no docking arrangements and had to wait out the dock workers' strike. We lost quite a lot of money with that delay. |
| 15 |
We are transporting some fruit and fish on the next voyage. Marcus wants to make a few stops on the way to further the UNIA agenda. I don’t think this is such a good idea. |
| 16 |
Firstly, you don’t transport fish and fruit together. Secondly, it all rotted due to the delays at so many ports. We must deliver fresh cargo to the customer fast, or we will lose this business. |
| 17 |
Those previous cargo shipments were huge flops. Overall, things haven’t been so great lately. Let’s finish this lumber shipment and then I will buy you a drink. I need to talk to someone. |
| 18 |
Marcus and I have had some disagreements. I understand that he is trying to improve the situation of the African-Americans, but I can’t agree with some of his methods. |
| 19 |
He hopes to copy the success of the White Star Line and other shipping lines led by white males only with purely black employees. I feel that his actions only foster further segregation. |
| 20 |
I wish Marcus only the best, but I will have to move on, even if that means giving up on my captain’s position on SS Yarmouth. Although, I am building a house right now and could use the money. |
| 21 |
I have applied for a dozen jobs, and I didn’t even get one reply. I had hoped that the experience at Black Star Line would help me. My wife is home with our four kids, so I need to find a job soon. |
| 22 |
I will have to try out for that ship’s cook job I saw in the newspaper. Before, I was applying for a skipper’s and first mate's position. Maybe I was aiming too high. |
| 23 |
Working as a cook after serving as a ship’s captain is quite the downgrade. But a man has to take care of his family no matter what. I must get familiar with all these pots and pans fast. |
| 24 |
Try this fish soup. What do you think? Is it edible? I used dried and salted fish, so the soup is pretty salty. Maybe using fresh fish would be a better idea. |
| 25 |
I have joined the Marine Workers Union. Working as a regular sailor is hard when you have no one to speak up for you. Unions are doing that and I want to be a part of it. |
| 26 |
The war in Europe is getting serious and it seems the United States is getting involved. They are looking for sailors for the Navy. |
| 27 |
I have been offered command of a Navy cargo ship, the SS Booker T. Washington. But the whole crew is black. I don’t like such clear segregation, even though I long to captain a vessel again. |
| 28 |
The Maritime Commission changed the sailors of Booker T. to an integrated crew. So I will be accepting that offer. I can’t wait to put on a captain’s uniform again. |
| 29 |
SS Booker T. Washington is setting sail on its first voyage tomorrow. We are transporting war supplies to Europe. Let’s load up the cargo! |
| 30 |
I don’t like war. It’s a bloody and terrible thing. But at least I can captain a ship again. This time we are transporting soldiers across the Atlantic. |
| 31 |
The war is an expensive business. It costs a lot of money, but the lives lost are invaluable. My crew and I are not safe either. The enemy is preying on cargo ships too. |
| 32 |
Our next voyage will take us across the Pacific. We are delivering weapons and food to the units in Pearl Harbor. We need to refuel before we set sail. |
| 33 |
I am so glad I don’t have to cook fish soup anymore, but I wish the war would already end. I only hope I can keep my job as a captain. I don’t want to go back to the kitchen. |
| 34 |
The war has finally ended. As I feared, they had taken the command of Booker T. from me. Officially, the ship was decommissioned and I wasn’t offered a new position. |
| 35 |
I am back to where I started. No one wants to hire me as a captain. They accuse me of associating with communists because I am a Union member. |
| 36 |
No matter the difficulties and opposition, I will keep trying to get back behind the rudder. I will even file a lawsuit against the ship owners who refuse to give me a chance. |
| 37 |
The lawsuit was rejected. Supposedly, the ship owners had objective reasons to refuse me. Maybe I must leave the sailor’s life behind and try something different. |
| 38 |
I was thinking about getting into politics. Bring some change for the people of color and sailors especially. I would promote integration and equality of rights. |
| 39 |
I ran for the New York State Comptroller's office. It didn’t work out. The results were disappointing at best. Perhaps I am fated to end up as a ship’s cook after all. |
| 40 |
Thank you for everything. I know you tried to help me as best as you could. Maybe I will get back that captain's cap one day. For now, I will just make sure my family is taken care of. |
| Final |
Thank you for your help. Don't forget your reward, captain. |