400 years ago, the first slaves were shipped to America. Remembering that dark period

BY BEA L. HINESAUGUST 16, 2019 12:06 PM, UPDATED 6 HOURS 13 MINUTES AGO

Gene Tinnie glances at the rising sun as he helps lead others in the Middle Passage ceremony. Tinnie will lead the commemoration on Sunday of the event marking the beginning 400 years ago of the African slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in American history. The commemoration will be held at the historic Virginia Key Beach Park. CARL JUSTETHE MIAMI HERALD

About the end of August in 1619, a pitiful, frightened group of “20 odd” Africans from the kingdom of Ndongo, Angola, bound with ropes and chains, were forced aboard the ship “White Lion” and were brought to the shores of America. It was the beginning of the slave trade, one of the darkest times in the history of America.

Starting Sunday, commemorations will be held throughout the country to mark the 400-year milestone. Commemorations in Miami will be Sunday, Aug. 18, and Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the historic Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Dr., just off Rickenbacker Causeway, said Dinisulu Gene Tinnie, one of the organizers of the events.

“This milestone opportunity to revisit, reflect upon, and be empowered by the full meaning of the last 20 generations of African presence in English-colonized Native North America, has provided the vision for ‘The Year of Return’ observance from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday,” Tinnie said.