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Middle and Modern Passages

Experiences and Testimonials

Experiences provide lifetime memories.

Over 12 million Africans were part of a forced maritime journey across the Atlantic Ocean into slavery in the "New World". This journey, The Middle Passage, saw human losses of over two million human captives over nearly four centuries. African-American sailors of today are engaging in the "Modern Passages", through our organization and thesailing vessel SANGOMA. These experiences transform the hearts and minds of not only the sailors, but also the new friends we make while visiting areas relative to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This includes England and West Africa. 

It is I who also must be thanking you for this unforgettable experience. I am beginning to think about my research in new ways because of this sailing adventure. For so long, I was so focused on the passengers in my research (the 1820s African American maritime migrations to Haiti and the DR), but had not thought enough about the crewmembers. Now I'm looking at my documents with new insights and realizing that the "maritime archive" is more than the written word - you really have to sail off into the sea to feel the history. 
Dr. 
Matthew Randolph


As a Cultural Anthropologist interested in History and Linguistics, it took me a few days to process everything I learned and experienced during our trip with Middle and Modern Passages. There was so much information to reconsider, and being aboard the sailboat as a part of the crew reminded me how important it is to get out of the classroom. I'm now thinking of new ways to impart information to my students, and new topics to research and to write about. 

Dr. Jamaal Muwwakkill





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