Mercer University, Tubman Museum digitizing slavery records in Middle Georgia

Mercer University and the Tubman Museum are digitizing historic slavery documents from Bibb County in an initiative to educate the public about the dark chapter of American history.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Mercer University and the Tubman Museum are digitizing historic slavery documents from Bibb County in an initiative to educate the public about the dark chapter of American history.

The Bibb County Deed Books, dating back to the 1800s, offer in-depth records of the sale and lease of enslaved African Americans. The project intends to provide a tangible, personal lens into the lives of those who were enslaved, breathing life into the names and accounts often relegated to historical footnotes.

Mercer University Professor Chester Fontenot spoke about the significant value the records hold for the residents of Macon-Bibb County.

“These documents are important, because in a sense it puts flesh and blood on ancestors,” he said. “You hear about what my ancestor was, a slave over here or they were free, something like that, but now with these documents and doing the historical work with them, it starts putting flesh and blood on people.”

The records will make their debut at an exhibit that will open this Sunday, July 24 at 3 p.m. at the Tubman Museum.

You can view the scanned documents at bibbclerkindexsearch.com/external.