339 Manumissions and Beyond Project

06/01/2026

A “cook-out” bringing communities together! This is exactly what Avis Wanda McClinton set out to do for the release of Marcus Rediker and director, Tony Buba’s film, “Becoming Benjamin Lay”. Lay, a Quaker, gained notoriety as an “extreme” abolitionist in the 1700s. Avis Wanda held a “meet and greet” with live music and delicious soul food for friends, neighbors, and Quaker congregants. Rediker and Buba both joined Avis and friends in her beautiful garden to celebrate a common spirit, making those aware of Quaker enslavers, the enslaved, and the force behind Benjamin Lay to set them free. Additionally, although “Becoming Benjamin lay” is a film addressing lay’s dwarfism or short stature, his physical appearance never hindered him from pursuing what he thought was right in the world wrt the enslaved. Rediker and Buba held the screening for “Becoming Benjamin Lay” at Abington Meetinghouse in Pennsylvania.

05/22/2026

Join 339 Manumissions and Avis Wanda in California! San Luis Obispo,Ca to be exact! June 19th we will present to the SLO NAACP community! See information below!

05/08/2026

05/01/2026

We are thrilled to announce that a documentary is being released, “Becoming Benjamin Lay,” which will showcase the life of a significant Quaker abolitionist named Benjamin Lay, who vehemently opposed slavery. This film mirrors our group’s beliefs and emotions. Fortunately, Avis Wanda was interviewed for the film, expressing the sentiments of the 339 Manumissions and Beyond Project . In addition to this exciting development, she is planning an afternoon cookout! See information below

04/17/2026

03/26/2026

Hallelujah!

The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 caused great anxiety in America, Portugal, Spain and France, who continued to ply their trade in human misery illegally through British waters. Between 1807 and 1860, the Royal Navy, West Africa squadron seized approximately 1,600 ships involved in the slave trade + freed over 150,000 Africans who were aboard these vessels. ❤️🖤💚

03/19/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1393219626169014&id=100064429700337

After a six-year legal battle with Harvard University, Tamara Lanier has won ownership of two of the earliest known photographs of enslaved people in the United States.

The images, taken in 1850, depict an enslaved man named Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia Taylor. They were originally commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz as part of research rooted in racist pseudoscience that attempted to promote theories of Black inferiority.

For decades, the portraits remained in Harvard’s possession and were widely reproduced in academic settings. But Lanier, who says she is a direct descendant of Renty and Delia, challenged the university’s ownership in court — arguing that the images were taken without consent and belonged to the family.

Now, after years of legal fights and public pressure, Harvard has agreed to relinquish the photographs to Lanier, marking a significant moment in the ongoing conversation about historical accountability, ownership and the legacy of slavery in American institutions.

Source: NPR

02/18/2026

https://www.339manumissions.org/post/black-history-month-blog. Follow us on our website!

02/15/2026

Interesting story of a family and the descendants in search of their roots. Article by Julia Shipley

In 1800, the naval ship “Ganges” intercepted schooners carrying 135 enslaved people and brought them to Philadelphia. Centuries later, the descendants are still in search of their roots.

02/02/2026

February is Black History Month. Let’s begin the month with a voice so strong and so true from 1967. Martin Luther King Jr., his words still ring loud and clear almost 60 years later. Please take a listen.

In 1967, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King spoke with NBC News' Sander Vanocur about the "new phase" of the struggle for...