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Black History is made every single day in Prince George's County.
February offers us an opportunity to truly ensure we are learning about and celebrating our rich history. I hope you will join me in participating in several of the events hosted by the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation and by learning more about or visiting our African American Heritage Sites. Please spend some time on the Lakeland community website to learn more about the history of this community and our collective work for restorative justice for them. Please take some time to watch our "Sharing our Stories" video from last February.
I am very proud to partner with the Prince George's County African American Museum and Cultural Center to collect the oral history of another important African American neighborhood in District 3, the Lincoln Vista community. I can't wait to share this final project with you in a few months.
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Black History Month Celebration on Sunday, January 30 |
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M-NCPPC Black History Month Events |
Celebrate and honor African American heritage during Black History Month in February. From performances to history lessons to tours, there are plenty of exciting events and activities planned throughout Prince George's County.
From performances to history lessons to festivals, there are plenty of exciting M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation events planned this year. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, ALL programs will be held virtually.
View the brochure and full schedule of events here.
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African American Heritage Sites |
African Americans have played a significant role in the history of Prince George’s County that are illustrated in numerous historical sites, schools, and settlements, such as St. Paul’s (Free Hope Baptist) Church, Blacksox Park, Abraham Hall, St. Mary’s Beneficial Society Hall, Mount Nebo Church, the Charles Duckett Log Cabin, Dorsey Chapel, the Northampton Slave Quarter Site and Archaeological Park, Belair Mansion, Darnall’s Chance House Museum, Elizabeth Keckly Burial Site, and the Marietta House Museum.
The African-American Heritage Sites Guide is available for you to take a visual journey to African American historical sites and buildings through guided tours (specific locations) or self-guided tours. Black history is America's history all year long.
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Learn more about the Lakeland Community |
Lakeland’s story mirrors much of the African American experience during legalized segregation in the United States. Located in the South near the District of Columbia, but also in close proximity to Baltimore, the community has a narrative that includes elements of Southern life and of African Americans’ Great Migration northward in search of wider opportunities. The story of Lakeland is representative of many African American communities that grew and flourished despite the limitations of a less than hospitable society.
Read more about Lakeland, learn about the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, and engage in Restorative Justice work with this community online: https://lakelandchp.com/
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Join the Lakeland Community Heritage Project and experience the rich history of the Lakeland community through an exploration of the Lakeland Digital Archive on Thursday, February 10 at 6:30 pm at this virtual event.
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Thanks to the community interest and queries about the Cherry Hill Cemetery, we are working to deepen our understanding of the history of this African-American cemetery in District 3. M-NCPPC has replaced the graffitied sign with a temporary new sign. In addition, M-NCPPC staff, including the director of the Riversdale House Museum, have begun researching a possible connection between Riversdale and the cemetery.
The biggest step forward is that M-NCPPC has retained a geophysicist who also has an archeology background to conduct a survey of the Cherry Hill Cemetery land. Through this work, we hope to gain a better understanding of the location and number of burials at the site without any disturbance of the ground.
In addition to the geophysical work and research M-NCPPC is conducting, they are very eager to hear any stories or history known by local residents. If you have information you’ve heard from neighbors or which has been passed down, please contact Kristin Montaperto at Kristin.montaperto@pgparks.com to share that information—no detail or snippet is too small and will help her put together a more complete picture. After the geophysical research is completed, M-NCPPC staff and I will share the information learned with the community to discuss the best way to move forward in honoring and protecting Cherry Hill Cemetery. |
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In February 2021, I was proud to host a virtual event, "Sharing Our Stories" to celebrate the rich history African American history in the District 3 community. Special guests from Lakeland, Lincoln Vista, Seabrook, a member of the Plummer Family and an historian from M-NCPPC shared stories and experiences with us.
This recording is especially poignant to me as our community lost Emily Hickey just a few months ago. During this virtual event, and at an earlier event I hosted in 2015 (which, unfortunately we didn't think to record), Emily shared stories of being a young girl as her family was the first African American family to integrate the Seabrook neighborhood.
I hope you will find about an hour and a half this month to watch this recording.
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Contact Your District 3 Team |
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Dannielle Glaros
301-952-3060
Wanda Brooks
240-537-8153
Katerin De La O Lara
301-952-3060
Jaqueline Menjivar
240-537-8073
Aimee Olivo
301-741-5273
*New* Mailing Address: 1301 McCormick Drive, 2nd Floor, Largo, MD 20774
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