Roots and Remembrance: The Middle Passage Journal is a continuing biographical encyclopedia documenting the lives of Africans and their descendants who were enslaved in what became the United States.
This journal exists to restore personhood to individuals whose lives were often recorded only in financial, legal, or property records. Many appear in the historical archive as entries in probate inventories, tax lists, bills of sale, court proceedings, or census schedules. By documenting names, relationships, locations, and historical context, this journal preserves their humanity within a permanent and citable record.
The purpose of this journal is to:
Document the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants using primary source evidence
Support genealogical research and descendant connection
Preserve documented history in a structured, accessible format
Ensure that the realities of American slavery remain visible and grounded in evidence
Memory without documentation fades. Documentation without dignity dehumanizes. This journal joins both.
The journal documents individuals who were enslaved in what became the United States from the colonial period through the end of legal slavery in 1865 and the signing of the Treaties of 1866
Entries may include:
Named individuals
Individuals were identified only by description when names were not recorded
Family clusters appearing within the same document
Linked individuals across multiple records
Each biographical entry is grounded in documented evidence and structured to allow other researchers to locate the original source.
In addition to documented biographical entries, each volume may include a limited Remembrance & Reflection section.
This curated section may feature:
Original poetry
Artwork and artist statements
Essays on memorial sites, cemeteries, and museums
Book reviews related to slavery, genealogy, and remembrance
Musical dedications with contextual commentary
These contributions deepen reflection and cultural engagement while remaining distinct from the documented encyclopedia entries. The biographical record remains the foundation of the journal.
Each volume of the journal:
Assigns permanent entry numbers
Presents entries in a consistent format
Includes documentary citations
Cross-references family members when documented
Indexes names, locations, and documented enslavers
The journal is published annually, with the long-term vision of expanding its frequency as the archive grows.
All biographical entries are based on primary or verifiable historical sources. Contributors are required to provide sufficient information to allow others to locate the cited record.
The journal distinguishes clearly between documented fact and historical context. Person-first language is used throughout. Responsible use of technology, including AI-assisted drafting, is permitted when all factual claims are verified against documented sources.
Roots and Remembrance is conceived as a multi-volume, expanding archive. The long-term goal is to document as many identifiable individuals as possible who endured enslavement in America, creating a permanent record for descendants, educators, researchers, and future generations.
This journal affirms that the lives of the enslaved are worthy of preservation, study, and remembrance. By documenting these lives with care and evidence, the journal contributes to an enduring historical record that resists erasure.
The journal is published by the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP), a lineage society dedicated to commemorating enslaved and freed ancestors of African descent, connecting descendants through genealogy, and educating the public about the institution and legacy of American slavery.