Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project Inc. (MPCPMP) held a dedication ceremony at Fort San Carlos, located at the Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park on Amelia Island. The ceremony formally honored and remembered the two million Africans who died during the transatlantic human trade voyage commonly known as the “Middle Passage” and the 500,000 who survived and disembarked on U.S. Territory.

During the event, a newly installed historic marker and bench were unveiled, providing testimony and public access to the history of those who arrived on Amelia Island. Along with the official historic marker dedication, the ceremony included a traditional African Tribute to the Ancestors, a Call of the African Nations, and proclamations from community leaders.

The Middle Passage was the Atlantic Ocean voyage made by captive Africans to Europe, to the Caribbean Islands, and to South, Central, and North America from 1441 to 1886 as part of the transatlantic trade. It was the largest and longest forced migration in human history, with 24 million people, removed from their families and communities off the coats of Africa before arriving elsewhere as slaves.

To learn more about MPCPMP and the local impact of The Middle Passage, visit MiddlePassageProject.org  or email Ann Chinn at, middlepassagemarkers@gmail.com or write to Middle Passage Project, P. O. Box 3071, Jacksonville, Florida 32206.