Survivor of slave ship who died in Selma highlighted in newly opened museum

A newly opened museum in Mobile Bay dedicated to the history of the slave ship Clotilda highlights a survivor who died in Selma. 

According to a story by Wesh.com, the museum opened on Saturday. In 1860 the ship transported a number of Africans to the U.S. despite a ban on bringing slaves in from outside of the country. 

Clotilda was the last ship to transport slaves to the U.S. before it was purposely damaged in an attempt to cover up the illegal operation. Its remains were discovered in 2019. 

After slavery was outlawed the survivors moved on elsewhere. Among these was Matilda McCrear. 

As noted in the Wesh.com story and BBC News, McCrear spent her twilight years in Selma, dying at the age of 83 in 1940. 

Her grandson, Johnny McCrear, recalled witnessing the events of the Civil Rights Movement and had not known about his grandmother's time as a slave until later in his life.