Aaryan Morrison has a deep love for Africa that has been handed down to her from her parents. It’s that passion that has brought her back to Mobile where she is helping to shine a light on historic Africatown, the nearby community built by the survivors of the fated Clotilda.

Aaryan Morrison at Harvard. (contributed)

Morrison made her first trip to Mobile two years ago when she was named the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman (DYW) of America, earning a scholarship that has allowed her to attend Harvard University. With the pandemic forcing Harvard, like many other schools and colleges, to switch to remote learning, it has opened doors for Morrison to return to the city. This fall, she has served as an intern with Visit Mobile, the city’s convention and tourism bureau, and is working alongside many others to bring to the world the story of Africatown and the Clotilda, thought to be the last known U.S. slave ship. The wreck of the Clotilda was uncovered in the waters of the Mobile River in 2019.

“My first knowledge of Africatown and the Clotilda came this summer when my former DYW chaperone, Kathy Latta, told me about this project in Mobile,” said Morrison. “I was so moved at how significant this discovery is on so many levels.”

With an introduction from Latta, Morrison landed the internship and has been working with Visit Mobile, while taking part in her online classes at Harvard.

A heritage that runs deep

Aaryan Morrison, second from right, with her family at Distinguished Young Women National Finals, June 29, 2019. (Seth Laubinger/Ruby Media)

Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, Morrison’s lifelong love of Africa comes from her parents, who have made sure that she knows that she is rooted in the continent across the ocean. The couple moved from South Africa to the United States two years before their daughter’s birth.

Morrison has taken several trips with her parents to their hometowns to visit relatives. It has allowed her to meet the people of South Africa and experience the culture for herself, she noted.

“From our travels, I have learned that South Africa is just like anywhere else – it is the whole of its parts and no one source, especially not those external to the country, can deliver a comprehensive description of it,” Morrison said. “As such, I have come to understand that South Africa is its people, and its people are wise, joyful, kind and hopeful. They are quick to welcome and share themselves with you, and it is through this sharing that I have learned to appreciate the complexity and diversity that is South Africa.”

As a social studies major at Harvard, Morrison is focusing on African Studies. She plans to pursue a career in public policy and economic development at the United Nations or a similar organization, or become a teacher.

Aaryan Morrison with Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. (contributed)

“I would like to teach others that this is the level of proximity and intimacy it requires for you to get to know a place and a people,” Morrison said. “This type of learning is especially important when that place and that people have been the victims of centuries of oppression, exploitation and stereotyping. I want people to know that the people of Africa can speak for themselves and that they should be the authoritative voice on all matters about themselves and their continent. It is the job of non-Africans to undo the centuries of harm they have wrought on the continent by treating voices from the continent with the respect and legitimacy they deserve.”

Back to Mobile

As an intern for Visit Mobile, Morrison has been putting what she has learned into practice. She has been conducting research and writing stories and other historical materials that will be used in support of Mobile’s efforts to promote and preserve Africatown and the story of the Clotilda. It’s the first step in creating a world-class experience that will draw visitors from around the globe.

She has interviewed many of the Africatown elders and church leaders, as well as descendants of the community’s founders. She has also met with people who have played a leading role in developing and bringing to the public similar civil rights projects. Among them are representatives from the Alabama Historic Commission, Montgomery’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Slave Wrecks Project, a global effort sponsored by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American Culture.

Aaryan Morrison, left, has formed a connection to Mobile’s Africatown community. (contributed)

“We are trying to see how the history of racial oppression has been communicated and memorialized in different ways so we can take what we have learned from these other groups and adapt it as we tell the Africatown story,” she said.

Emily Gonzalez, vice president of Marketing and Communications at Visit Mobile, said Morrison’s passion for Africa and its people, along with her skills as a researcher and writer, has made her a perfect fit for the internship.

“It has been a blessing to have Aaryan with us,” Gonzalez said. “Because she has a knowledge base and background that is beneficial to us and is in tune with research, development and writing with a focus on African culture, she has been a tremendous help as we build the storytelling experience. As the story is being written, we want to be sure it is told tactfully, truthfully and authentically, and Aaryan understands that. She is helping to build the foundation for the future of our Africatown project.”

David Clark added that Morrison has provided Visit Mobile with a fresh perspective.

“She has been a breath of fresh air and has helped us understand what tourism means to a younger generation – What are young people interested in and how do we message that,” said Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile. “It’s nice to have someone who has the passion and the skill set, and has spent every day of her life immersed in African culture, work with us on this project.”

Morrison said it has been hard at times to balance her school and work commitments.

“To know I get to participate in a living, breathing project where you can see the very direct and immediate impact your work is having on other people – that’s really exciting and fulfilling,” she said. “The challenge has been to remember that I’m first and foremost a full-time student. Balancing my commitment to school on the one hand against my excitement and enthusiasm for what I’m doing in Mobile on the other has been challenging.”

Although her internship will conclude at the end of the fall semester, Clark and Gonzalez agree that Morrison will continue to work with Visit Mobile when she returns to the Harvard campus in January.

Morrison said she is thrilled to have taken part in this internship.

“I have really enjoyed getting to work side by side with so many people who are committed to this project for the right reasons,” she said. “No matter who you talk to, they have all said they are not doing this for themselves but are doing it to serve the people of Africatown. I have learned so much from them, and it has reminded me that I have so much more to learn.”