On June 7, 2019, the Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage will hold its 3rd annual conference and awards banquet. This year, our co-host is the New Jersey Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.
The Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage recognizes the service and leadership of dedicated individuals who are committed to uplifting the memory of enslaved individuals of African descent through genealogical and historical research, social and public media, book publishing, software, archiving, and all forms of art.
This year, we are honoring the following individuals
• Michael Coard, Attorney, Activist, Radio Personality, Educator. Our 2019 Keynote Speaker, Frederick Douglass Award Recipient. Mr. Coard is being honored for his work with proclaiming the contributions of enslaved people and uplifting their memory, including his work with Avenging the Ancestors Coalition.
• Thom Reed, Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer FamilySearch International, Elijah Abel Service Award Recipient. Mr. Reed will be honored for his work promoting African and African-American genealogy.
• Dr. Marion T. Lane, Author, Historian, Activist, Educator. Crispus Attucks Leadership Award Recipient. Dr. Lane is being honored for her undying devotion to uplifting the memory of enslaved and indentured people of African-descent.
• Regina Mason, Author and Co-founder of Inspired By Courage, Solomon Northup Family Service Award. Ms. Mason is being honored for her work promoting families who are descendants from people of African descent who were enslaved in the United States.
• Nicka Smith, Genealogist, Historian, Black ProGen Live Host, Ida B. Wells Communication Award. Ms. Smith is being honored for her work in promoting African-American genealogical research through the social media.
• Ruth D. Hunt, Family Historian, Genealogist, Public Speaker, Recipient of the Certificate of Recognition for Service and Leadership. Ms. Hunt is being honored for her many years of work with veterans and many others, helping them create their family trees and do genealogical research.
The 2019 Phillis Wheatley Book Award Winners are:
Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar , Kathryn I. Knight, Ric Murphy, Angela Walton-Raji, and Bernice Bennett. See our book award website for complete information about the authors and their books.