A MESSAGE FOR THE ARCHIVE TEAM:

Thank you for your interest in the Hollins-Wiggins Contraband Legacy Archive.

We are honored that you are considering sharing your family’s legacy with us or asking for research assistance. Every name, document, photograph, and family memory has the potential to deepen our understanding of the history of self-emancipation and the lives of the American Contrabands.

The Archive is in its final development phase and is expected to be available beginning January 1, 2027. Until then, our team is focused on preparing the database, organizing collections, verifying records, and building the search tools that will make the Archive as accurate and useful as possible. We appreciate your patience as we complete this important work.

In the meantime, if you are ready to contribute family stories, photographs, documents, or other materials to the archive, or if you are seeking research assistance, we encourage you to complete the Google Forms at the link below. Your submission will help us organize requests, prioritize research, and ensure that your information is ready to be incorporated as the Archive comes online.

While our ability to respond may be limited during this preparation period, every submission will be received, retained, and reviewed.

For future correspondence, questions, or additional information, please email us at HollinsWigginsArchive@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you and will respond as our development schedule allows.

Our goal is to build more than a database. We are building a permanent home for the names, families, and stories that have too often been overlooked.

Thank you for your support, your patience, and your commitment to preserving this history. We look forward to working with you as the Hollins-Wiggins Contraband Legacy Archive opens to researchers on January 1, 2027.

This archive is not just a collection of documents. It is a place where names, families, stories, and histories can be brought back into view. It is a research tool, but it is also a tool for remembrance, connection, restoration, and truth.

This archive is made possible in part through partnership with
Fort Monroe Authority, the Amistad Research Center, and the National Archives.

The Hollins-Wiggins Contraband Legacy Archive is dedicated to the memory of CHS founder Gerri L. Hollins and Dr. William B. Wiggins.

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