“All of Us Would Walk Together”

I have had just about the best experience working with the sites in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Most of my work has been with Historic St. Mary’s City, but what I have done absolutely pales in comparison to what my new buddy Terry Brock has been doing. Terry is bringing the story of enslaved and freed African Americans to light with the online exhibit, All of Us Would Walk Together which details this experience.

Historic St. Mary’s City traditionally has focused on life in the early days. Those times where it was still the capital of Maryland and a time where most think that the St. Mary’s City had no connection to slavery. But that’s not the entire history and as years passed, slavery was part of the culture. When talking with Executive Director Dr. Regina Faden earlier in the year, we encountered a few who said, “slavery wasn’t a problem” and we  knew that this was a story that would be challenging to tell but needed to be told. Terry has been working on this history for years. His efforts and work are a part of his doctoral dissertation, but more than walking away with a very VERY nice degree, Terry will be leaving his mark by helping St. Mary’s City learn more about the past many would deny.

Through community meetings and working with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The SRI Foundation, the Ford Foundation and The Maryland Historical Trust, the story is being told. Please check out the site, learn from it, leave comments and support in any way you can.