Returning Connecticut’s Flagship to Full Sail: Discovering Amistad Awarded $450,000 State Bond Grant

We are thrilled to announce that Discovering Amistad has been awarded $450,000 in Connecticut state bond funding through the Urban Act Fund. This critical investment will support major restoration work on the Freedom Schooner Amistad, helping return Connecticut’s flagship to full sailing operations as a floating classroom and museum.

Restoring the Freedom Schooner

The funding will support the replacement of the schooner’s masts and the complete restoration of its sailing rig. Following a 2024 U.S. Coast Guard inspection that determined the original masts needed replacement, we have worked to secure the necessary resources to safely return the ship to service. The new masts will feature advanced laminated construction, providing increased strength and a longer service life to ensure the Amistad can navigate coastal waters for years to come.

Deepening Community & Student Impact

Restoring the vessel's sailing capability allows us to sail directly into port communities across Connecticut. During its annual Voyage for Freedom, Discovering Amistad visits eight to ten coastal ports and engages over 15,000 community members and more than 4,000 students across 25+ school districts each year. Free tours are offered in port communities to help ensure broad public access to the ship and its history. Restoring the vessel’s sailing capability will strengthen Discovering Amistad’s ability to bring this history directly into communities across Connecticut, including students and families who have historically had fewer opportunities to participate in immersive cultural and educational experiences. 

Discovering Amistad Awarded $97,250 Federal Grant to Launch "Amistad Museum Plus"

We are proud to announce that Discovering Amistad has been awarded $97,250 in federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through its Museum Grants for African American History and Culture program. This grant will support Amistad Museum Plus (AM+), a transformative initiative designed to expand educational programming, broaden audience reach, and deepen engagement with the history of the 1839 Amistad Uprising and its ongoing connections to freedom, justice, and human rights.

Modernizing the "Floating Museum" Experience

The Amistad Museum Plus (AM+) initiative will modernize and expand operations aboard the Amistad Freedom Schooner through accessible multimedia exhibitions and learning resources designed for use aboard the ship, dockside, in classrooms, and online.

Developed with input from historians, educators, and community stakeholders, AM+ centers African American voices and illuminates the lived experiences of the Mende people through culturally responsive, historically rigorous interpretation.

Through the lens of the fight for freedom of the Amistad Uprising of 1839, we educate and collaborate to dismantle systemic racism and to achieve continue the fight for justice & equality today.

From our Board of Directors to the Amistad crew to our communities, funders and partners, we are in this together.

Discover how we educate and collaborate aboard our schooner, in classrooms, online and at historic institutions to facilitate learning, dialogue, action and ultimately, change.

Upcoming Events – Discover where we are and where we’re going. We hope you will join us.