Retracing the steps of their ancestors

This book chronicles Joseph McGill Jr.’s dedicated journey to remember the lives of enslaved individuals through his Slave Dwelling Project. Since 2010, McGill has spent over 200 nights sleeping in slave dwellings across twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. The book blends historical accounts, personal experiences, and evolving thought, highlighting the often obscured and ignored aspects of slavery. It delves into the biographies of the properties’ past inhabitants and emphasizes the national phenomenon of slavery in antebellum America. The narrative is both an enthralling account and a powerful educational tool, challenging and changing the interpretation of slavery over the years.

In this book, Dr. Gwen Adshead, an internationally renowned forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, draws from her thirty years of experience in providing therapy to people in prisons and secure hospitals who have committed serious offenses. Through a collaboration with coauthor Eileen Horne, Dr. Adshead brings her extraordinary career to life in a series of unflinching portraits. The book reveals the complexity and shared humanity of perpetrators, showing how minds can change when individuals take responsibility for their life stories and get to know their own minds. It offers a persuasive argument for compassion over condemnation in an era of mass incarceration, deep cuts in mental health care, and extreme social schisms.

The book begins with the story of Kunta Kinte, a young Mandinka man from The Gambia who is captured by slave traders and sold into slavery in America. It follows the lives of his descendants through seven generations, detailing their experiences under slavery, the Civil War, and the post-war period. The narrative shifts to Alex Haley's first-person account, recounting his own life and the oral traditions passed down through his family. The book is a powerful exploration of slavery, family history, and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.