Presentations
Tobias Hill: The Legacy of a Maine Patriot
Jacqueline Long
This presentation is about the life and lineage of Tobias Hill, an African American Patriot from Maine who from a state of colonial servitude became a respected land-owning free person of color.
The Cansler Legacy: 250 Years of Resilience and Triumph in America
Ruth D. Hunt
From a young German immigrant arriving in America in 1749… to a family that endured war, migration, slavery, racial barriers, and reinvention… the Gentzler-Cansler legacy survived through courage, resilience, and faith. Today, I honor both my Patriot ancestor and the enslaved ancestors whose lives and sacrifices shaped my lineage and my journey into the Daughters of the American Revolution
The Six Freedmen Leaseholders in St. Augustine and the Discovery of My Ferguson Ancestor
Gigi Onyinye Best
After Emancipation, January 1, 1863, in St. Augustine, Florida, approximately 672 newly freed and free people of color were placed on a parcel of land called “Liberation Lot.” This location was later called “Little Africa” and still exists today as “Lincolnville.”
America 500K: Remembering the Enslaved People at the Dawn of the American Revolution
Dr. Evelyn McDowell
At the dawn of the American Revolution, roughly 500,000 enslaved people of African descent lived in the thirteen colonies — one in every five colonists. This presentation restores them to the founding story: the global system that brought them here, the Caribbean connections that link African American families to cousins across the hemisphere, and twenty documented individuals whose names and acts of resistance survive in the historical record. Drawing on primary sources and the latest DNA research, the session traces how the Revolution’s promise of liberty was withheld from the very people whose labor made it possible — and why that history still shapes America today. Dr. McDowell shares her personal feelings and family history as a case study of the complex emotions African-American descendants of the enslaved may have about the realities of their lineage.
Roots and Remembrance: The Middle Passage Journal — Call for Submissions
Dr. Evelyn McDowell
Roots and Remembrance: The Middle Passage Journal is SDUSMP’s landmark publication dedicated to preserving biographical documentation of enslaved ancestors. This presentation walks contributors through the journal’s mission, submission types, and documentation standards — including guidance on creating entries for both named and unnamed ancestors, as well as a step-by-step workflow for using AI tools responsibly in the research and writing process. Submissions are due September 30, 2026, with publication scheduled for January 2027. All SDUSMP members and descendants are invited to contribute.
Republic Benin’s Citizenship by Descent program (RBCD) for Afro-descendants Affected by the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Nikki Williams Sebastian
This video explains the of Republic Benin’s Citizenship by Descent program (RBCD) for Afro-descendants affected by the transatlantic slave trade. Nikki explains Republic of Benin’s law 2024-31, which confers Beninese nationality based on proof of direct line descent and requires applicants not to hold citizenship in any other African nation. Benin’s citizenship by descent program requires DNA testing to document sub-Saharan African ancestry but no specific DNA requirement to show Benin-specific genetic markers. Nikki explains the current application guidelines are found at www.myafroorigins.bj website and mentions Benin’s right of return framework, lawful residency, property ownership, and later political participation that citizenship provides.
Nikki also notes ceremonies for issuance of Republic of Benin nationality occur every other month through the end of the year.