CHESTERTOWN — The historically Black communities of Butlertown, Big Woods, Still Pond and Coleman will be the focus of a program next week brought to the public by the Historical Society of Kent County.
Kent County native Darius Johnson, currently the project director for Chesapeake Heartland, will make the presentation and lead a community discussion on “We’re Still Here: Black Countryside Communities in Kent County.”
Johnson is a scholar of historic preservation and a former board member of the Historical Society of Kent County.
“We’re Still Here: Black Countryside Communities in Kent County,” which is free and open to the public, will be held on Saturday, June 21 at 1 p.m. at the Harwood Nature Center in the Lawrence Wetlands Preserve.
Seating is limited.
Reservations are encouraged by visiting https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicalsocietyofkentcounty/1737988.
Facts and figures related to African American history in Kent County have been increasingly documented and celebrated in recent decades, yet a deep and often complicated gap remains in sharing many of the stories of success, empowerment and lived experience that give meaning to the data.
According to a news release, “We’re Still Here” aims to take a step toward bridging that gap.
Johnson brings both scholarly insight and personal connection to this conversation.
His family has lived in Kent County for more than 200 years, with a legacy of entrepreneurship in agriculture, construction, seamstressing and domestic work.
A graduate of Kent County High School and Washington College, Johnson is pursuing a master’s degree in historic preservation at Goucher College.
He is a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program, and his work spans affordable housing, land conservation, workforce development and community history.
NOTES: The Lawrence Wetlands Preserve is a walk-in facility located at 301 South Mill St. in Chestertown. There is no on-site parking. Visitors are encouraged to park in the public lots in the 300-block of Cannon Street or on the surrounding streets. Those with limited mobility may call 410-778-3499 in advance.
Sponsors for this event include Johnson’s Concrete and D & D Construction.
