The Middle Passage Ceremonies And Port Markers Project

This evening the Baltimore Historical Society hosted a Zoom event that featured the work of the nonprofit, The Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project.

They are an organization dedicated to “honor the two million captive Africans who perished during the transatlantic crossing known as the Middle Passage and the ten million who survived to build the Americas.” This is an amazing project that includes the following work, as described on their website:

  • Commemorating the nearly 12 million Africans involved in the Middle Passage of the transatlantic human trade.

  • Researching and identifying all ports of entry for Africans during the 350 years of the transatlantic human trade

  • Encouraging local communities to hold remembrance ceremonies at each of the 52 documented Middle Passage port sites in the United States of America

  • Supporting the installation of historic markers to establish a permanent record honoring those who died and those who survived the Middle Passage

  • Educating the community about the vital role that Africans and their descendants played in the development of both local areas and the nation

  • Partnering with historical and cultural societies, academic institutions, churches, visitor and tourist bureaus, and community organizations to promote African Diaspora history and culture, especially related to the Middle Passage

They are looking for volunteers in Baltimore to gather together to ensure that a marker is placed in Baltimore and ceremonies are held to remember and honor all the human lives forced into and lost on this journey. Please reach out to either the Baltimore Historical Society or The Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project if you are interested in joining this important effort.

Stephanie Brizee