Names matter.
Across the centuries of American slavery, millions of Africans and their descendants lived, labored, built families, endured, and shaped the foundations of this nation. Many appear in the historical record only in probate inventories, tax lists, court proceedings, bills of sale, church registers, or newspaper notices.
Roots and Remembrance: The Middle Passage Journal invites you to help restore those lives to the documented historical record.
Volume I marks the beginning of a continuing biographical encyclopedia dedicated to preserving these lives with evidence, dignity, and permanence.
On the eve of the American Revolution, more than 500,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants lived in the colonies that would become the United States.
For Volume I, we especially encourage submissions that document individuals who lived before or during the Revolutionary era (approximately 1619–1776).
Submissions from all periods of American slavery (1619–1865) remain welcome.
We seek biographical entries of approximately 250–500 words that:
Are grounded in primary or verifiable historical records
Use person-first language
Distinguish documented fact from interpretation
Maintain a respectful and dignified tone
Entries may include:
Named individuals
Individuals were identified only by description when names were not recorded
Family clusters appearing within the same document
Volume I will include approximately 30 biographical entries.
A small number of curated contributions may also be included in a Remembrance & Reflection section. These may include:
Original poetry
Artwork with artist statement
Essays about memorial sites, cemeteries, or museums
Book reviews related to slavery, genealogy, and remembrance
Due to space limitations, only a limited number of these contributions will be selected.
Each biographical entry must include sufficient information to allow another researcher to locate the cited record, including:
Document type
County and state
Year
Page, book, or file number (if available)
Archive or database name
All factual claims must be supported by documentation.
Contributors may use AI tools to assist in drafting biographical narratives and organizing citations.
However:
All statements must be traceable to the documentary sources provided.
AI-generated content must not introduce unsupported claims.
Contributors remain responsible for verifying accuracy.
AI may assist with writing clarity but may not replace documentary research.
The journal encourages the responsible use of emerging tools to expand access to historical documentation and to assist descendants in restoring ancestral narratives.
Contributors may use the following prompt when drafting entries:
Using only the documented records provided below, draft a 300–500-word biographical entry about [Name or Description].
Where available, incorporate the following documented information:
Full name (including alternate spellings, if any)
Date of birth (day, month, year when known; e.g., 10 June 1745)
Place of birth (city, county, state, or colony)
Occupation or skilled labor (if documented)
Associated enslaver’s full name (if directly documented)
Place of enslavement and other details, if known
Spouse’s name, date, and place of birth (if known)
Names of children
Names of parents or other family connections
Any additional documented facts
List of documented evidence (not included in the word limit)
Do not invent facts.
Do not speculate beyond the evidence.
Clearly distinguish between documented facts and broader historical context.
Use person-first language (e.g., “a man who was enslaved,” not “a slave”).
Maintain a respectful and dignified tone.
If information is missing, acknowledge the absence rather than filling in gaps.
Then paste the documentary evidence below the prompt before submitting it to the AI tool.
Contributors may choose to be:
Credited by full name
Credited by initials
Credited as “Submitted by a Descendant”
Anonymous
Submissions for Volume I must be received by:
June 30, 2026
Volume I will be published digitally in September 2026, with print-on-demand availability.
By submitting an entry, you are:
Preserving documented history
Supporting genealogical research
Contributing to a permanent archival record
Ensuring that these lives are neither erased nor reduced to abstraction
This journal is conceived as a multi-volume archive. Volume I is the beginning of a long-term effort to document as many identifiable individuals as possible.
Help build the record.
Please read Editorial Standards and Rights and Ethics before submitting your entry.
Volume I aligns with the 2026 SDUSMP Annual Conference theme:
America 500K: Remembering the more than 500,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants on the eve of the American Revolution.
Selected submissions may be highlighted during the conference.
Learn more at: www.sdusmp.org/conference2026