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'Amistad' replica may dock in St. Petersburg
By CANDACE RONDEAUX ST. PETERSBURG -- The Amistad wasn't a slave ship, says Capt. William Pinkney. It was a commercial ship that illegally carried human cargo. He should know. Pinkney is captain of the Amistad, the 2-year-old replica of the ship made famous by Steven Spielberg's film of the same name. This fall, Pinkney and his crew of 13 may get a chance to educate thousands in the Tampa Bay area about the Amistad's rich history if a plan to bring the 129-foot ship to the Port of St. Petersburg becomes a reality. City officials are tentatively planning to bring the Amistad to town for a visit between Oct. 27 and Nov. 1. "Nothing is set in stone yet," said Michael Perez, port director. The Samaritan Corp., a nonprofit social services organization, and St. Petersburg Events Inc. are sponsoring the visit. If the event goes off, a concert at Tropicana Field would be held in conjunction with an opening reception Oct. 27. The concert would feature Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan. The Rev. Joseph Harvey, director of the Samaritan Corp., said he hopes that the ship's visit and the concert would generate millions of dollars for local charities involved in community development and social services. In 1839, the Spanish ship La Amistad -- which means friendship -- set sail from West Africa for Havana, Cuba, carrying rum and 53 slaves. The Africans onboard successfully revolted, however, and forced the ship to change course. After being seized by U.S. coastal authorities, the ship and its captive Africans became the focus of a two-year legal battle, which ended in the Supreme Court. An eloquent argument by former president John Quincy Adams persuaded the court to rule in favor of the Africans, allowing them to return home.
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