More than 165 years after the transatlantic slave ship Clotilda landed illegally in the United States, Cassandra Lewis has become the first descendant of its survivors to receive citizenship from Benin, according to reports from the Guardian. Lewis traveled to Benin in May to complete a citizenship ceremony, fulfilling a right of return established by the West African nation in September 2024 for descendants of enslaved people.
Tracing the Lineage of Clotilda Survivor Cudjo Lewis
Cassandra Lewis is the great-great-granddaughter of Oluale Kossola, known in the United States as Cudjo Lewis. Captured from the Bantè region of Benin, Cudjo Lewis was trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean and enslaved in rural Alabama in 1860, just one year before the American Civil War and 52 years after the United States outlawed the transatlantic slave trade, as reported by the Guardian. Conspirators burned and sank the Clotilda, and a hull from the ship was not recovered until 2019.
Following emancipation, Cudjo Lewis and roughly 32 fellow survivors established Africatown six miles north of Mobile, Alabama, to preserve their West African customs, language, and traditions. Cassandra Lewis grew up hearing firsthand accounts from her father, Johnny Lewis, who lived with Cudjo Lewis for 15 years. Johnny Lewis passed down these oral histories so subsequent generations would remember a homeland they might never see.
Benin’s New Citizenship Path for the African Diaspora
Lewis secured her citizenship under Benin’s “My Afro Origins” program, which launched on the Fourth of July last year to connect diasporic Africans with their ancestral roots. While applicants can use DNA tests to apply, Lewis deliberately submitted genealogical records tracing her lineage directly back to Cudjo Lewis, ensuring her brothers, sisters, and daughter can easily follow her lead, according to the Guardian.
During the citizenship ceremony on May 22, Lewis stood beside a life-sized cutout of her great-great-grandfather. The Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed her by noting that she brought her ancestor back with her. Altevese Rosario, Lewis’s cousin and president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, told the Guardian that the citizenship signals a broader pathway for African Americans whose heritage was stolen.
Did you know? Cudjo Lewis’s life and story were famously recorded by author Zora Neale Hurston in her book Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo’.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Cudjo Lewis?
Cudjo Lewis, originally named Oluale Kossola, was one of the 110 captive Africans illegally transported to the United States aboard the Clotilda in 1860 and one of the last known survivors of the Middle Passage.
How did Cassandra Lewis receive citizenship from Benin?
According to the Guardian, Lewis utilized Benin’s 2024 legislation allowing descendants of enslaved Africans to reclaim citizenship by submitting genealogical records and DNA results proving their lineage.
What is Africatown?
Established after the Civil War by survivors of the Clotilda near Mobile, Alabama, Africatown served as a safe haven where survivors maintained their West African traditions and community.
Share your thoughts on this historic homecoming in the comments below, or subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on diaspora history and heritage preservation.
Worth a look