The Phillis Wheatley Book Award was established in 2013 to honor books covering topics relating to American slavery and African-American genealogy in a wide variety of genres including fiction, non-fiction, family stories, and biographies, all for both adult and young readers.

Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP) established the Phillis Wheatley Book Awards as a part of our mission to commemorate the memory of our enslaved ancestors, connect ourselves to our ancestors and each other though genealogical research, and educate others about American slavery and its impact on today’s society. We are honored to give a platform to authors who have achieved these feats.
 
SDUMP is a lineage society for descendants of individuals enslaved in English colonial America and the United States of America from 1619-1865. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of our freed and enslaved ancestors. The organization was started in 2011 and incorporated in Washington, D.C. SDUSMP is a non-profit, charitable 501(c)3 organization.