Into the Deep: Diving With A Purpose & Uncovering Our History
by
Ken Fuchs
It has been two years since my previous Diving With A Purpose (DWP) underwater
archaeology class. Due to the CoVID health crisis, the program has been temporarily on hold.
In June of this year, I finally was able to attend the DWP No. XVI class meeting. Over the
years, Diving With A Purpose has evolved into an organization that has partnered with
countries and other diving groups with the mission of identifying, protecting, documenting, and
interpreting African slave trade shipwrecks.
Diving With A Purpose is a community-focused, nonprofit organization dedicated to the
conservation and protection of submerged heritage resources by providing education, training,
certification and field experience to adults and youth in the fields of maritime archaeology and
ocean conservation. A special focus of DWP is the conservation and study of African slave
trade shipwrecks and the maritime history and culture of African-Americans who formed a core
of labor and expertise for America’s maritime enterprises.
In 2003, some members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) participated in the
“Guerrero Project”. This project included a documentary about the search for the slave ship The
Guerrero, as told by author Gail Swanson in her book entitled, “Slave Ship Guerrero.” The late Brenda
Lanzendorf, the only archeologist at Biscayne Park and “star” of the documentary needed help
documenting shipwrecks in the Biscayne area. In 2005, along with Kenneth Stewart of the Tennessee
Aquatic Project (TAP), they developed the Diving With A Purpose program.
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DWP started primarily as a volunteer underwater archaeology program in partnership with
members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) and the National Park
Service (NPS). Their mission was to document shipwrecks in Biscayne National Park off the
coast of Homestead, Florida. The DWP course is an intense full week program that teaches
the basics of underwater archeology. This program usually consists of one day of instruction
on land, three days of diving and debriefing, and ending with the final drawing of the shipwreck
site. Students learn the basic principles of underwater archeology, trilateration mapping and in
situ (a Latin phrase meaning “in place” or “on site.”) drawing, as well as basic shipwreck construction
and artifact identification. Diving With A Purpose offers a new adventure and a different
challenge for young and adult experienced divers.
The new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Museum in
Washington, D.C. opened its doors officially in September 2016. On display in the museum’s
Slavery and Freedom exhibition are the São Josè artifacts (African Slave Wrecks Project, São
José Paquete d’Africa Wreck & Mozambique Island). The DWP is featured in an interactive
display that tells the story of the discovery of the São Josè in the Explore More Gallery.
The DWP program is always looking for new talent, especially the young and adventurous.
The overall goal of the DWP is to deliver advanced training in maritime archaeology to the
following target audiences: (1) the youth; (2) university students enrolled in undergraduate,
graduate and post graduate programs, especially in Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs); (3) professionals in the maritime terrestrial archaeology fields; and (4)
experienced maritime archaeology advocates (“graduates” of the DWP Maritime Archaeology
field school). The important work of mapping slave ship wrecks contributes to the history of
Freedmen in the United States and descendants of African slaves in other countries affected
by the slave trade. Consider joining and learning more by visiting the links below:
National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS): https://nabsdivers.org/
Diving With A Purpose: www.divingwithapurpose.org
Diving With A Purpose (Facebook):
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diving-With-A-Purpose/159543057423813
Youth Diving With A Purpose: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kennstewart/
