On April 21, 1878, the ship Azor departed Charleston, South Carolina, carrying 206 Black Americans seeking a new life in Liberia. Sponsored by the Liberian Exodus Joint Stock Steamship Company, the voyage represented a powerful expression of self-determination in the face of post-Reconstruction racial violence, broken promises, and systemic oppression in the American South.

The emigrants included skilled laborers, ministers, teachers, and families who pooled their resources with the dream of building a free, Black-led society on African soil. The journey was grueling, lasting over a month, and while Liberia held promise, the reality proved more difficult than many expected. Yet, this moment stands as one of the most significant organized Black emigration efforts in U.S. history—an act of radical hope and resilience.