Hale Woodruff

The Amistad Murals

Collectively referred to as The Amistad Murals (1939), these three panels depict the story of the revolt of enslaved Africans on The Amistad (The Mutiny on the Amistad), the legal battle that followed (The Trial of the Amistad Captives), and the freed men and women’s successful return to Africa (The Repatriation of the Freed Captives). Commissioned by Talladega College president Buell G. Gallager, artist Hale Woodruff was tasked with creating the murals for the school’s newly constructed Savery Library. The murals were a memorial to the 100-year anniversary of The Amistad trial of 1838, which had largely been forgotten at that time. They were also a celebration of the interracial collaboration that went into the building of the college and library, a fact that was especially poignant given the ongoing racial tensions in the South during the Jim Crow-era. Since being removed from their original location, The Amistad Murals continue to be an example of Black resilience and history while also demonstrating Woodruff’s skills as a muralist.