Middle Passage Remembrance Ceremony and Marker Unveiling Event

HARKERS ISLAND, NC - Recent research by Eastern Carolina Foundation for Equity and Equality, Inc. has uncovered documentation confirming that Portsmouth Village was a Middle Passage arrival site, meaning it was directly involved in the Trans-Atlantic Human Trade. The nonprofit organization has partnered with the National Park Service and the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project to create a permanent marker and to organize a ceremony to acknowledge this history.

On Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 10:00AM Cape Lookout National Seashore will host a Middle Passage Remembrance Ceremony and unveil the historical marker. The purpose of the Ceremony is to honor the African ancestors who survived, and those who perished, on the journey through the Middle Passage. The purpose of the marker is to acknowledge this history and the contributions of Africans and Americans of African descent. After the unveiling, the marker will be permanently emplaced in Portsmouth Village.

The event will take place at Shell Point, adjacent to Harkers Island Visitor Center, located at 1800 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held indoors at the nearby Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, located at 1785 Harkers Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531.