captioning sponsored by wnet >> sreenivasan: on this edition for saturday, february 19: the u.s. and nato warn of a swift response, if russia invas ukraine. an alabama community works to revive the stories of enslaved ancestors. and, singer songwriter keb' mo' on charting his circuitous journey to prominence. >> i had some tough times, you know? and i survived them all. >> sreenivasan: next, on pbs newshour weekend. >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: sue and edgar wachenheim iii. bernard and denise schwartz. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the anderson family fund. the estate of worthington mayo-smith. leonard and norma klorfine.

the rosalind p. walter foundation. koo and patricia yuen, committed to bridging cultural differences in our communities. barbara hope zuckerberg. we try to live in the moment, to not miss what's right in front of us. at mutual of america, we believe taking care of tomorrow can help you make the most of today. mutual of america financial grou retirement services and investments. >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service that helps people communicate and connect. we offer a variety of no-contract plans, and our u.s.-based customer service team can help find one that fits you. to learn more, visit www.consumercellular.tv. additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

>> sreenivasan: good evening, and thank you for joining us. with tensions between russia and ukraine spiking, american officials warned again today that the consequences for a russian invasion would be severe, even as they pledged that a diplomatic path is still possible. addressing the munich security conference this morning, vice president kamala harris said the escalating situation was a defining momt for the west. >> i can say with absolute certainty-- if russia further indes ukraine, the united states, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant, and unprecedented economic costs. >> sreenivasan: the vice president also met with ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky, and reiterated american support for ukraine's territorial integrity. in public remarks at the conference, zelensky proposed direct talks with russian president vladimir putin, while also arguing that sanctions against russia should start immediately. zelensky also said warnings

about imminent attacks are harming ukraine's economy, and said the current global order is not up to the task of protecting countries like ukraine. >> ( translated ): the architecture of world security is fragile and requires renewal. the rules that the world approved decades ago are not working anymore. they are not catching up with new threats, and they are not effective in overcoming it. >> sreenivasan: while world leaders gathered in germany, russian separatists in eastern ukraine called for an evacuation of civilians to russia, and announced a full military mobilization. ( air raid siren ) there has been an uptick in violence in the breakaway eastern provinces of ukraine in recent days, an area where separatists have been engaged in a years-long conflict with ukrainian forces. officials in western nations say the move by russian-backed groups in ukraine may be an effort to create a pretext for a russian invasion in the coming days. at the white house yesterday, president joe biden said he was convinced russian president vladimir putin had decided to invade ukraine. he cited classified

intelligence, and the plain-view positioning of at least 150,00 russian troops near the ukrainian border. russian officials continue to deny that an invasion of ukraine is imminent, but today, putin and embattled belarussian president alexander lukashenko presided over a test of russian ballistic and cruise missiles. russia's defense ministry said the exercise had been scheduled long ago, but it was a reminder of the country's nuclear capabilities. military drills were also held in the black sea region near crimea, which russia annexed by force in 2014. about 70 miles north of the border with ukraine in belarus, russian paratroopers continued exercises with belarussian military forces. in a pitch to keep diplomatic channels open, u.s. secretary of state antony blinken agreed to meet with his russian counterpart next week-- provided there is not an invasion first. >> sreenivasan: for continuing coverage of the situation in ukraine, and more international and national news, go to www.pbs.org/newshour.

>> sreenivasan: last weekend in mobile, alabama, there was a family reunion, of sorts. many of the people there were descendents of west africans who were sold into slavery a forced to come to the u.s. on the very last slave ship in 1860. we first brought y the story of the "clotilda" three years ago, when the hunt was on to find its wreck. in the first of a three-part series on confronting the legacy of slavery and racism in alabama, special correspondent megan thompson traveled to mobile to follow up on that search, and those working to revive the story of "clotilda's" survivors and the long-neglected community they founded. >> this is raw cotton. it's real, raw cotton. >> reporter: when we first visited lorna gail woods three years ago, she showed us her collection of artifacts and photos on display at a school on the northern edge of mobile, alabama. >> this is my granddaddy-- great-great granddaddy, charlie. >> reporter: in 1860, woods'

great-great grandfather, charlie lewis, was captured in west africa and forced onto a ship called the "clotilda." it was the last known slave ship to arrive in america. >> somehow, in the bottom of that boat, they were praying and chanting. >> reporter: that woods knows so much about her ancestry is unusual. detailed records about enslaved people were scarce, and names were often changed. but the story of the "clotilda" and its survivors eventually became one of the best- documented accounts of the transatlantic slave trade. >> we are at the upper end of mobile bay. >> reporter: james delgado is a historian and maritime archeologist. while the story of the "clotilda" had survived, the ship itself had been lost. >> this is the route that "clotilda" took on its illicit, illegal voge. >> reporter: in 1860, slavery was still legal in alabama, but importing new slaves was banned. wealthy mobile landowner timothy meaher made a bet he could pull off an illegal run to africa.

he paid captain william foster to sail to what was then the kingdom of dahomey-- today, benin. he forced 110 captives onto the boat, then sailed back, sneaking into the mobile river under the cover of night. foster took notes about it all. >> "i then took my schooner and burned and sank it," says captain foster. "clotilda" basically took a sharp turn and went up that way, and somewhere up there was burned and sunk. >> reporter: but the extraordinary story didn't end there. after emancipation a few years later, some "clotilda" survors regrouped and formed their own community near mobile. it came to be called "africatown." they built a church and a school, elected a leader, and had their own court system. it grew to be a vibrant, bustling community of more than 10,000 people. today, africatown is a shadow of its former self. the area is surrounded by industrial sites. its population has dropped to

around 2,000, and many of the "clotilda" descendants have moved away. three years ago, we saw a visitor center destroyed by hurricane katrina that hadn't been rebuilt, commemorative sculptures vandalized, empty lots, and abandoned properties. >> we've been the stepchild. ( laughs ) so to speak. >> reporter: with little outside help, resident cleon jones has been on a one-man mission for years to keep up the area. born and raised in africatown, jones went on to become a star baseball player for the new york mets, catching the final out of the 1969 world series. after retiring, he came home. >> you know, you know, we grew up together! wh you're talking about me, you're talking about yourself. ( laughs ) >> i'll see you later! >> yeah, all right. >> reporter: jones is not a "clotilda" descendant-- his family was here before the ship arrived, he says-- but its legacy is important to him. >> but i also knew that the ship was part of us because it was part of the community. it's always been dear to my heart.

>> reporter: so, jones has dedicated his time to bringing the area back. >> on a daily basis, we try to spruce up the community... >> reporter: ...fixing signage, caring for lawns, and restoring homes. at the same time, lorna gail woods was one of just a few speang up for the "clotilda" descendants. she lamented the lack of political will to do more. >> they struggled and made a life for us here in mobile, but they never got the recognition they deserved. by them finding the ship, that'll be the glue that sticks all of it together. >> reporter: meanwhile, the hunt for the ship had already begun. in 2018, strong winds pushed water levels to extreme lows in the mobile river. journalist ben raines began exploring the area where the "clotilda" was thought to have been burned, and discovered several shipwrecks. experts were called in to investigate the muddy waters, including "national geographic" and james delgado's company, search, inc. >> we're diving and mapping

things by feel. in some cases, we're taking wood samples to understand if it's-- if it's a wooden ship, what it's built of. >>eporter: and then, in may 2019, delgado and his team made their announcement. >> yes, it is "clotilda"! ( applause ) >> reporter: the discovery sparked intense interest in the "clotilda" and africatown, and thrilled descendants. >> and i was very happy because now we have the conclusion that we needed to the story. >> reporter: last month, we caught up again with james delgado, who explained how he identified the "clotilda." he says the wreck was the correct size and shape, and made from the right type of wood. >> these are planks from off of "clotilda's" hull, and they were important evidence because species identification matched exactly th what we knew "clotilda" had been built with. iron fasners used to hold "clotilda" together, with a bit of wood left. and what we see here with this saddling, this-- this form of

burning around this, this was powerful forensic evidence of this ship having been burned. >> reporter: only a handful of slave shipwrecks have ever been found, and, delgado says, the "clotilda" is the only one lost during the slave trade that's survived more or less intact. and it's revealing stark and disturbing details unknown before. >> this is the bow. the stern is back here and still buried at this point. >> reporter: delgado identified what looks like a temporary wall, not part of the original ship. >> and what that says to me that this was added by foster to create a smaller cell. this is the area in which the captives were confined. it's the size of a-- a one-room apartment. it's not much bigger than the space i'm sitting in now. 18-by-23 feet and about 5.5 feet high, and that's where 110 people are kept for 40 days with no access to a facility other than a bucket, at best. >> reporter: the site was put on the national register of

historic places last year. delgado says it's too soon to tell if the boat is in good enough condition to be raised from the water. he plans to return this spring for a more thorough excavation. >> it's possible-- a hypothesis is-- that we might be able to recover d.n.a. that comes from bodily fluids being splashed on planks or collecting in the spaces below, in-- in the hold, and has been preserved in the mud. >> the truth is, "clotilda" is-- it exists. been found. there's proof of a crime, and evidence of a crime that happened. >> reporter: darron patterson is the president of the new "clotilda" descendants' association. his ancestor was pollee allen, whose african name was kupollee. >> we'd like to get it out of the water, put it on display. but here's the thing about it: the ship is a vessel, but it's not nearly as important as those 110 people in the cargo hold. >> reporter: since the "clotilda" was found, would you

say that interest in all of this has grown? >> exponentially. >> reporter: the descendants' association now has more than 40 members. 100 more have applied to join. ♪ ♪ ♪ and last weekend, it held a festival in africatown, a chance for descendants to reunite and honor their ancestors. >> ashay! ashay! >> and with us having the festival today, we're doing everything we can to perpetuate the history of africatown. >> reporter: a new play also debuted, depicting the horrors of the "clotilda" voyage and the rength and resilience of its survivors. >> but, we were not broken. >> reporter: it's the latest in a series of new "clotilda" portrayals since the ship was found. books have been written, songs composed... ♪ "clotilda's" on fire. ♪ >> reporter: ...a documentary just premiered at the sundance film festival, and this month, a new "national geographic" film

started streaming on hulu and disney+. cleon jones says all this attention is nice, but will it translate into help for the people of africatown? >> it's a beautiful story, but it hasn't helped our community. so, therein lies the problem. let's make sure that we-- we-- we resurrect the saga, but, at the same time, let's rebuild and restore our community. >> reporter: new restoration has begun, to the tune of millions of dollars from the city, coty, state, and private corporations. there are plans to finally rebuild that welcome center, and a new history museum is slated to open this summer. >> that's going to be a place that we can brag about, and say, "oh, we got a museum in a little place called africatown!" >> reporter: a half-mile away, an old building will be torn down and replaced with a food bank, business center, and offices for the brand new africatown redevelopment corporation, which will oversee

revitalization. and the county is now pitching in on the work to restore homes, alongside cleon jones. >> this house, we did a new roof on it, a new paint job. we're putting life back into the community. so, that-- that-- that's progress. >> sreenivasan: blues musician keb' mo' has been a star for decades, but you might be surprised to learn how long it took to get there. newshour weekend special correspondent tom casciato recently had a career-spanning conversation with the 70-year- old singer/songwriter, who just reased a new album, called "good to be," and begins a u.s. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> like tuning up a car, you got to get everything right. ♪ woke up this mornin' wrong side of the bed

♪ had a heavenly night you know, i'm feelin' it ♪ in my head lord have mercy >> reporter: keb' mo' makes it all look easy. ♪ and the day ain't even begun >> reporter: he's a master blues guitarist and singer. ♪ well, you know i got a bad, bad feelin' ♪ that the worst is yet to come >> reporter: he's spent decades in the public eye, and if his biography reads like one long list of accolades, well, five grammy award-winning albums will do that for a person. ♪ didn't get no breakfast didn't get no lunch ♪ but i did get two weeks notice >> reporter: but dig a little deeper, and you'll find that his music goes far beyond the blues. ♪ there's a deeper conversation going on in every nation ♪ >> reporter: and the road to recognition was long and winding, with success by no means assured. >> i had some hungry days. i had some tough times, you know, i-- and i survived them all. >> reporter: he was born kevin moore in compton, california, in 1951.

his first musical experience was as a kid on trumpet. >> right away, when i firsde a sound on thatrumpet, i was just like, "yeah." there was some family turmoil and the trumpet ended, and stuff, school, changing schools, and problems like that. >> reporter: your parents divorced when you were little? >> yeah, they divorced. so there was a lot of uprooting. >> reporter: that uprooting led to some new friends, and new instruments. >> i learned steel drums, and i learned trap drums. i learned congas and bongos, and the next year i got my father and i just begged him for a guitar. "i want a guitar," you know? so he managed to scrape a little money together and we went down to sears and roebuck, and he got me a guitar. >> reporter: aacoustic silvertone model, about 22 bucks plus tax. so that's when he came a full-time guitar player, right? not quite. >> then, when i got to high school, i met these two guys. and they were the two french horn players in the-- in the band, the marching band and the orchestra at school, and they say, "hey, man, why don't you

come over with us, and let's talk to mr. thomas and see if we can get you in the band?" >> reporter: on what instrument? >> french horn. ( laughs ) they gave me the horn, and then i was marching in the band with the french horn. >> reporter: then came graduation, and another detour: los angeles technical trade college for two years. >> i studied architectural drafting. and i, for the first year, i put the guitar down. i didn't touch it for a year. and then the next year, someone called me, like we always do, "why don't you come play?" and that band evolved into the band that became the band that played with papa john creach. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: papa john creach was a fiddler extraordinaire who'd played with everyone from louis armstrong to jefferson airplane. ♪ ♪ ♪ that's 27-year old keb' mo', still known as kevin moore, backing him on guitar. ♪ ♪ ♪ it was an invaluable musical experience. >> i'm in this band with this guy who's playing blues, rock, and standards. so i had to play "danny boy,"

i had to play "somewhere over the rainbow." >> reporter: but also some real ( makes rock guitar noise )? ♪ ♪ ♪ yup, he was even some playing pretty hard rock. but he was still waiting for his big break. he hoped it would arrive in 1980 with his first solo album, "rainmaker." ♪ has anybody sn my girl? ♪ >> reporter: "rainmaker" came out shortly before kevin turned 30, and that was significant for him. >> you know, i do this record, and it was a tremendous flop. 30 was kind of, like, old back then, you know? and i thought-- i thought, at 30, you know, because i'm from the '60s generation, with, you know, you don't trust anyone over 30-- so i figured, after 30, you're done. ( laughs ) if you don't make it by 30. >> reporter: but kevin moore just kept workg, and it was always a struggle. >> pying clubs and theater plays, playing some sessions, you know, recording sessions. one time iid the tv thing for a show called-- that lasted four

episodes, it was called "joe and valerie." ♪ looking all day looking all night ♪ looking for the one looking for the one ♪ >> and that paid me $2,500, and that-- that lasted me a couple of months. >> reporter: one year became another, and then another still. and then, became a decade. >> and then 40 came, and then i hadn't quit yet, and there was a moment when i said, i must be a musician. >> reporter: so when grammys and attention came, you were a grownup. >> yeah, i was a grown-ass man. >> reporter: he was 42 when he released his first album under his new stage moniker, keb' mo', and so began that dazzling array of accolades. and it wasn't just grammy awards. in 2006, he entranced the crowd with "america the beautiful" at the inauguration of the fictional president in the finale of the hit show "the west wing." ♪ oh, beautiful

for spacious skies ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ >> reporter: a decade later, he'd be invited to sing the same tune at the actual white house. >> it is my great pleasure to welcome keb' mo'. ♪ the fruited plain! america ♪ america ♪ >> reporter: but perhaps the greatest honor of all is the extent to which other musicians want to perform with him. you can find him singing a lonesome hank williams duet with james taylor. here he is joining darius rucker on a country rock tune from his new album. ♪ you're gonna need a good strong woman ♪ that's got your back fill you back up ♪ when you're outta gas ♪ >> reporter: in fact, calling the roll of keb' mo's musical collaborators is nothing short of remarkable. i started to think about who all you have played with, and if you-- if you'll forgive me...

>> oh, here we go. there's a list now. >> reporter: do you mind if i read some of this list? >> not at all. go ahead. >> reporter: amy grant, bela fleck, bettye lavette, billy gibbons, bonnie raitt, b.b. king, bono. cassandra wilson, darlene love, dave holland, dr. john-- >> darlene love. when did that happen? >> reporter: darlene love? you were on stage with her and elvis costello and bonnie raitt, and you. >> okay. >> reporter: does that sound familiar? >> yeah, okay. >> reporter: dr. john, garth brooks, greg allman, india.arie. jackson browne, jimmy vaughn, joe bonamassa. joe walsh, gary clark jr., sam moore. >> yes. >> reporter: kingfish ingram, kristin chenoweth, mavis staples, melissa manchester. old crow medicine show. there's a picture of you onstage with philip glass. >> yeah, at carnegie hall. >> reporter: angelique kidjo, buddy guy, robert cray. robert randolph, rosanne cash, sarah dash, shemekia copeland, solomon burke, susan tedeschi, taj mahal, terence blanchard. the muppets. trombone shorty.

and vince gill. >> oh wow. >> reporter: i found a pic-- i was going to say you've played with everybody but donald duck, and then i found a picture of you with donald duck. it's like-- >> ( laughs ) >> reporter: everybody wants to play with keb' mo', it seems. >> ( laughs ) keb' mo' is just a lucky guy. i just, i just, you know-- i never had a big plan in life, so to speak, but i always put one foot in front of the other, and go, and i just trust the moment, you know. i have ambitions. i think ambitions and plans e two different kind of things. you know, i had ambitions of playing music, you know, and just being able to play my whole life. ♪ back in the hood who would have known ♪ that it would feel so good. ♪ >> i affectionately call my life, like, it's like the "wizard of oz." dorothy goes, "how do i find this yellow brick road?" and he says, "follow the yellow bricroad." "well, where is it?" "you're standing on it!"

>> reporter: and you were standing on it. >> i was standing on the yellow brick road the whole time, my whole life. ♪ i been gone too long it's good to be here ♪ it's good to be anywhere it's good to be back ♪ good to be home again it's good to be you ♪ it's good to be me good to be young ♪ good to be old good to be home again ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> sreenivasan: that's all for this edition of pbs newshour weekend. for the latest news updates, visit www.pbs.org/newshour. i'm hari sreenivasan. thanks for watching. stay healthy, and have a good night.

captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: sue and edgar wachenheim iii. bernard and denise schwartz. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the anderson family fund. the estate of worthington mayo-smith. leonard and norma klorfine. the rosalind p. walter foundation. koo and patricia yuen, committed to bridging cultural differences in our communities.

barbara hope zuckerberg. we try to live in the moment, to not miss what's right in front of us. at mutual of america, we believe taking care of tomorrow can help you make the most of today. mutual of america financial group: retirement services and investments. additional support has been provided by: consumer cellular. and by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. you're watching pbs.