Membership
Membership Criteria
Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia welcomes members who are descendants of people who were enslaved in Virginia and also community members who do not identify as descendants but are interested in and supportive of our work. Please read the membership criteria and descriptions below to see which membership type will fit you and your family the best.
Descendant Memberships
Who are descendants?
To be considered a Descendant of the Enslaved Communities of Virginia, an individual must satisfy at least one (but not all) of the following criteria:
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Be a documented direct or collateral descendant of a person enslaved at an estate/property in the state of Virginia.
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Be a documented descendant of an enslaved or free Black community in the state of Virginia.
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Have credible oral history suggesting your family descends from any of the above.
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Self-identifies as a descendant of enslaved or free laborers in the state of Virginia, but is still researching.
DEC-VA reserves the right to deny participation if any of the above criteria is not met, if a prospective participant cannot or does not provide documentation in a timely manner, or if any documentation has been falsified.
Membership Types (ANNUAL)
VERIFIED DESCENDANTS:
Verified descendants have satisfactorily met the criteria for membership in the DEC as determined by DEC and can provide supporting documentation of their connection to an enslaved person or family, or free Black laborer in Virginia.
DECLARED DESCENDANTS:
Declared descendants self-identify as a descendant of enslaved or free laborers associated with the Virginia plantations, but are still researching and have not otherwise met the criteria above for verified descendants.
Annual Descendant Membership Dues:
$25 per person (head of household) & $10 for each additional family member living within your household.
NON-DESCENDANT (Individual or Entity)
We invite any person or institutional entity of goodwill who is committed to supporting the mission and vision of the Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia to become a member. Your support helps us provide continued programming and research opportunities for descendants.
Community Membership Dues:
$100 per person. $250 for institutional members.
The Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia will serve as the collective voice of all descendants of enslaved and free Black communities who labored in the Commonwealth of Virginia through research, education, and preservation.