August 2020

Ric Murphy awarded
Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage
Prestigious 2020
Frederick Douglass Service Award

Trenton, New Jersey – It is with great pleasure that we announce Mr. Ric Murphy, scholar, author, activist the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage Service Frederick Douglass Service Award. Murphy emboldens the commitment of Frederick Douglas to community, family, and the struggles of African Americans by exploring the rich contributions made by African Americans in United States history and beyond. Through his leadership he has uplifted thousands by has sage advice, sense of purpose to the community and groundbreaking work on the arrival of the first documented Africans in English America in 1619. From his original work, Freedom Road: An American Family Saga from Jamestown to World War, published in 2014 to his recent writings, Murphy captures the essence of the goals and objectives of the SDUSMP by preserving the “memory of our freed and enslaved ancestors and to the education and historic preservation of the artifacts and landmarks of slavery in the United States of America and its economic, psychological, and cultural impact on today’s society.” 

About the Frederick Douglass Service Award.

The award is named after Frederick Douglass who was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, gaining note for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings before and during the Civil War. The award is one of the most coveted, perhaps the most prestigious of the SDUSMP awards recognizing the work of our members and community leaders for uplifting our enslaved ancestors and their descendants.  

About the SDUSMP

The Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP) is a lineage society dedicated to the memory of our freed and enslaved ancestors and to the education and historic preservation of the artifacts and landmarks of slavery in the United States of America and its economic, psychological, and cultural impact on today’s society. 

The objectives of the organization are Historical, Educational, Memorial, and Patriotic: to promote the connection of descendants of the Forced American Heroes, the enslaved people of African descent, to their ancestors through genealogy research;  to proclaim, through education, the role played by the Africans forcibly brought to United States in creating our nation, including their endurance of the cruelties of American slavery, their resourceful intellect; their extraordinarily strong will and spirit, and their connections to their descendants who have gone on to make our country greater. We want to especially commemorate the connections to all military soldiers; to educate the nation and world about the contribution of the enslaved and their descendants; to cherish and to strengthen the family ties among the members of the SDUSMP; and to collect, protect, and preserve the materials necessary for a complete history of slavery, and to mark the places of the sacrifice of these men, women, and children; our ancestors.  This is including, but not limited to, historically significant sites such as churches, battle sites, freedom trails, grave sites, plantations, and museums.  Lest we forget.

Additional Information For more information about this award or the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, visit sdusmp.org.

July 2020

Ric Murphy receives the
National Genealogical Society
2020 President’s Citation

Arlington, Virginia.

On May 20, 2020, theNational Genealogical Society presented the 2020 President’s Citation to Ric Murphy, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society for his Outstanding and Contributing Contributions to the Society. NGS Awards program recognizes excellence, scholarship, and achievements in the field of genealogy by presenting awards to organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to NGS programs or have performed outstanding work in the field of genealogy, history, biography, or heraldry.

About The National Genealogical Society

NGS is more than a century old! The National Genealogical Society was organized in Washington, DC, in 1903. NGS has a long history of leading the way in genealogy and produced some remarkable achievements. It was the first national genealogical organization. The society published the first national genealogical journal (NGSQ) and co-created the Board for Certification (BCG) . Twelve of the original BCG board members were current or former NGS officers or NGSQ contributors.

NGS blazed new trails establishing itself over the years as a leader in genealogical education with its conferences, seminars and workshops, research tours, books, magazines and journal. The society introduced the acclaimed NGS Home Study Course in American Genealogy in 1981 and now offers cloud-based, online courses in American Genealogy plus special subject matter courses developed by leading experts in the field.

Additional Information

For more information about this award or the National Genealogical Society, visit ngsgenealogy.org/.

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SECTION 27

January 2020. The award winning book, Section 27 and Freedman’s Village in Arlington National Cemetery: The African American History of America’s Most Hallowed Ground, in which I co-authored with Tim Stephens, will be released in March 2020 (McFarland Publishers). Advance copies can be ordered Amazon, and Barnes & Noble and other fine retailers everywhere .

Section 27

The award winning book, Section 27 and Freedman’s Village in Arlington National Cemetery: The African American History of America’s Most Hallowed Ground, was awarded by the Sons and Daughters of the Middle Passage the prestigious Phillis Wheatley Book Award …for more info. To purchase the book click here.

Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN

August 2018. According to the Military Review, The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army, the book, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier is an outstanding read …for more info. To purchase the book click here.

Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN

March 2018. According to Reader’s Favorites Book Review, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier …is inspiring and encouraging to many as it reflects on an important point in American history and throws light on Rear Admiral Larry Chambers’ childhood, growing up, and his journey that brought him to this historic point in life …for more info.  To purchase the book click here.

Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN

February 2018. National Magazine of Vietnam Veterans of America, “the book, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN presents the powerful story of Larry Chambers’ climb to the top, as well as the sociopolitical and global and military history surrounding his life. Whether you’re into military, global, or social history—or you just enjoy a very good read—I highly recommend Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN be placed high on your reading bucket list.” To purchase the book click here.