Victor Mooney, Queens, New York, who became the first African American to row across the Atlantic Ocean on a fourth try, following one of the transatlantic slave routes his ancestors traversed, recently returned from a 14-day visit to the Caribbean that brought him to Sint Maarten, St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Barthélemy.
In 2014, Mooney reached Marigot, St. Martin by rowing from the Canary Islands in 129 days. On the Dutch side, Mooney began recovering from an 80 weight loss as his boat, “Spirit of Malabo” was being repaired for hull damage in Coles Bay. Despite more challenges, Mooney reached New York’s Brooklyn Bridge on November 29, 2015.
In 2017, Mooney presented a piece of his boat to The Kingdom of the Netherlands Consul General in New York for the Sint Maarten government.
Mooney’s mission was to encourage voluntary HIV testing in memory of his brother that died of AIDS. After visiting the “Freedom Fighter” monument, Mooney left a note at the Governor’s Office of Sint Maarten.
Among other things, Mr. Mooney coordinated a commemoration for the first arrival of enslaved Africans in Point Comfort, Virginia in 1619 at New York’s Brooklyn Bridge Park under the theme: 400 years – Resilience, Faith, Healing and Partnership.