Port of Entry: Boys and Girls for Sale

Tour Guide: Nur Shoop

Navigate the streets of Portsmouth and gain a news perspective on a history often left untold.

Led by our high school Sankofa Scholars, this powerful walking tour centers the lives of enslaved children—boys and girls whose youth did not protect them from being bought, sold, or forced into labor.

As you visit the waterfront, wharves, and auction sites connected to the Atlantic Slave Trade, you’ll hear stories that reveal how young many were when their lives were defined by exploitation—traded for “cash or good lumber” and forced to serve in homes, on docks, and at sea.

What makes this experience especially moving is who tells the story. Our youth guides bring forward the voices of children from the past, creating a powerful connection across generations and inviting deeper reflection on freedom, humanity, and responsibility.

This is not just a history lesson—it is a shared moment of truth-telling, led by the next generation.