Exploring the Jagged Edges of History: The Black Schooner Graphic Novel Launch

On the evening of September 30, 2026, the New Haven Museum opened its doors for a celebration that felt part history lecture, part art opening and part community gathering. The occasion? The launch of “The Black Schooner: Rebellion on the Amistad,” a bold, ink‑splattered graphic novel that takes readers from the decks of the Amistad in Sierra Leone all the way to the courtroom drama in New Haven.

Co‑creator David Lester—who spends his days straddling the worlds of graphic art and punk‑rock guitar—explained that he wanted the pages to “spill over with the raw, messy energy of resistance.” He and historian Marcus Rediker, who joined the conversation via a live video link, walked the audience through their creative decisions, from the stark black‑and‑white palette to the way each panel tries to capture the rebels’ fierce humanity.

Rediker, a distinguished professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh, reminded everyone that the Amistad uprising is more than a footnote; it’s a pivotal moment for both Connecticut and the nation. His previous work—including the 2012 book “The Amistad Rebellion” and the award‑winning documentary “Ghosts of Amistad”—has always aimed to put the West African rebels front and center. “Turning that story into a graphic novel is a way to reach a whole new audience,” he said.

After the opening remarks, the two hosts led a workshop at 4 p.m. aimed specifically at teachers. They discussed practical ways to bring the novel into the classroom, from analyzing primary sources to staging role‑play exercises that let students feel the stakes of 19th‑century abolitionist politics. “Kids today are visual learners,” Lester noted. “A comic can break down the barriers that a dense textbook often creates.”

Educators in attendance seemed eager. Joanna Steinberg, Director of Education at the museum, mentioned an emerging book club that meets monthly to dissect “The Black Schooner” and brainstorm lesson plans. “It’s about showing students that history isn’t just dates on a wall; it’s lived, messy, and still relevant,” she added.

Signed copies of the novel, edited by Paul Buhle, were on hand for purchase, and a modest portion of the proceeds will support the Amistad Committee and the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. The event, free to the public, also counted toward Connecticut Freedom Trail Month activities, reinforcing the state’s commitment to remembering the stories that shaped its identity.

Visitors left with more than a new book; they carried a fresh sense of how art and scholarship can collide to make history feel alive again—ink‑stained, imperfect, and undeniably human.