Ric Murphy

Ric Murphy is an American historian, lecturer, author, and documentarian whose work focuses on African American genealogy, early American history, and historical commemoration. His research and commentary have been cited by journalists and historians in national and international media and have informed broader public discussions on African American lineage, military service, and the interpretation of early American history. Murphy is the founder and President General of the Society of the First African Families of English America and is widely recognized for his scholarship examining the historical relationships among Americans of African, European, and Indigenous descent during the colonial and antebellum periods.

Murphy’s most notable work, The Arrival of the First Africans in English America, received the 2020 Phyllis Wheatley Award and was later adapted into an award-winning documentary. Through this and other projects, he has contributed significantly to the research, documentation, and preservation of African American history and culture. His scholarship has been cited in connection with increased public interest surrounding the 1619 commemorations and has played a role in advancing America 250 public awareness initiatives highlighting the contributions of African and Indigenous soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as the “Forgotten Patriots.”

In addition to his published work, Murphy regularly participates in academic and public history symposia hosted by museums, libraries, and cultural institutions, where he lectures on both historical and contemporary topics related to his research. He also serves as a consultant to federal, state, and local governments as well as Fortune 500 corporations. Murphy’s own family lineage traces to early colonial Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Jamestown, Virginia, with documented ancestral connections recognized by multiple hereditary and lineage societies, a background that informs and complements his scholarly and genealogical work, and his prolific writing.