Captain Sefu Gravely Jr. was proud of his crew. His first mate was a Romanian Black man with a logical mind and strong sense of duty. The second mate, five crew hands, and cook were Russian Blacks. They were more superstitious than their Romanian companion, but still hardworking and steady. Together, they represented the excellence that Blacks could achieve in a world in which they had the opportunity and support to pursue their dreams in maritime transportation.

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Over the next month, these Black brothers would sail the S.S. Demeter from Varna, Bulgaria to Yorkshire, England. They were carrying hundreds of heavy, large boxes from an eccentric Romanian nobleman named Count Blackula.