About | Slave Legacy History Coalition

About us

The Enslaved Legacy History Coalition was born out of a family history. The Lloyd family – as the founders and leaders of our organization – were contacted as part of a project with the Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Though the site was at one time the home of famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and has long been revered as President George Washington’s Headquarters during the revolutionary war, the site was first where at least seven individuals – Cuba, Dinah, Malcolm, William, James, and two “small boys” – were enslaved.

Research at Longfellow since the National Parks Service’s acquisition of the House in 1972 revealed the Lloyds to be descendants of Cuba, her husband Tony, and their son Darby Vassall. This historic connection sparked the formation of the Coalition and inspired partnerships with The Royall House, Harvard University, and the Longfellow House itself.

The Legacy of Slavery affects us all, so the history of slavery belongs to all of us. Across the African Diaspora, so many stories like the Lloyds’ have been lost to time and are waiting to be told. The Coalition was formed in hopes of connecting more families back to these histories. We want to connect descendants of the enslaved in New England with the platforms, resources, and organizations doing the work to research slavery in New England.

These goals have built into a platform that can be used and approached not just by descendants, but by all – both to connect a personal history and to learn more about the physical and societal structures that remain as a legacy of slavery throughout New England. Since our establishment in the fall of 2021, the Coalition has developed engaging educational programming and monthly virtual gatherings to connect local organizations that are engaged in documenting the histories tied to slavery and Black New Englanders. We have created a much-needed space in the community to discuss the embedded legacy of slavery throughout the local landscape.

By fostering a productive environment that welcomes well-established academia, newcomers to the academic scene, and those operating outside of the exclusively historical space, the Coalition has developed successful working relationships with the Museum of African American History (Boston, Nantucket) and Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery to produce digital humanities projects like WeClaimSpace.org, an online exhibition of Darby Vassall.

If you or your organization would like to join our ever-growing list of partners, please reference our Work With Us page.

Our Team

Dennis Lloyd

Founder

Dennis Lloyd was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He attended Boston State College and earned a Master’s degree from Howard University from the School of Architecture & Planning. As a Vietnam Veteran, he served with the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion in Pleiku, Vietnam during the Tet offensive and was awarded the Army Aircraft Crewman’s Wings for flying over 100 Combat hours, as an Ariel-Assault Door Gunner. He has worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), The Boston Globe newspaper, and as a property developer in Massachusetts.

He currently serves on Church Vestry of Saint Paul’s Episcopal in Atlanta, Georgia, and he has served for over twenty years on the Steward Board of The Historic Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 2021, he became a founder of the Slave Legacy History Coalition. He is married to Beverly Parks Lloyd and together they have five children and five grandchildren. Member of Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and accepted Masons, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Egypt Lloyd

Founder

Egypt Lloyd, in 2021, co-founded the Slave Legacy History Coalition. Furthermore, she has served as a Project Advisor for History Cambridge on the Tory Row's Hidden Black History project. In 2022, she was honored to be invited as a panelist by Harvard University at the University of Virginia's Legacies of Slavery Conference.

In addition to her work in history, Egypt is a certified commercial pilot accredited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently, she is pursuing a degree in Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to her foray into history and aviation, Egypt leveraged her extensive experience in the real estate industry as an accomplished Senior Government Underwriter for over twenty years. Furthermore, she has made a significant impact on early childhood education as the creator and founder of the Neat and Orderly Tots enrichment program. This widely implemented program has successfully been integrated into schools throughout Georgia and Colorado.

Naomi Gordon

Team Leader, Program Coordinator

Naomi Gordon is the Program Coordinator for the Slave Legacy History Coalition (SLHC). She was first introduced to the organization through a joint internship between SLHC and Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site in the summer of 2023. Naomi's role has evolved into working full-time as SLHC's Program Coordinator, where she provides strategic support to the growing organization. She fosters relationships with SLHC-affiliated member organizations and develops opportunities for joint program engagement. She also coordinates future SLHC speakers who are engaged in preserving the history of enslavement and freedom, as well as the accomplishments of enslaved descendants. Naomi is a recent graduate of Wellesley College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. She is based in Cambridge, MA.

If you would like to collaborate with the Slave Legacy History Coalition or be a future speaker, please email naomi@slavelegacyhistorycoalition.org