Anne Jonas Antigua & Barbuda
- Meet Anne Jonas, Founder and Owner of Botanique
Anne Jonas was born and raised on the Caribbean Island of Antigua and Barbuda. A woman of faith and an educator for most of her life, she is passionate about helping others achieve their greatest potential. Anne is also of the view that there are certain characteristics that make one uniquely Antiguan and Barbudan. These views propel her to do her part to help preserve and protect her people's rich cultural heritage and find effective mechanisms for sharing the island's unique story with the global community. Botanique is one such mechanism.
Beat Box Dads
Beat Box Dads
Beat Box Dads
- Baby Beats with Max and Root is a live music and educational program for children that was created by Jamaal 'Mr. Root' Collier and Max Bent. Mr. Root is a dynamic stage performer, & master teaching artist who utilizes theater, rap and vocal percussion. Mr. Max, is a gifted musician and master teaching artist with a background in beatboxing and mobile music production.
Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots
Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots
Bruce 'Sunpie' Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots
- A Louisiana based musical group that Bruce calls 'Afro-Louisiana' music incorporating Blues, Zydeco, Gospel, Caribbean and African influenced rhythms and melodies. Barnes is also a former National Park Service ranger (retiring after 30 years), ethnographic photographer, actor, author, former high school biology teacher, former pro football player (Kansas City Chiefs), and current Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang Mardi Gras group.
Maryland Park Service
Maryland Park Service
Children's Discovery Zone
- The Children's Discovery Zone, join Maryland Park Service Rangers in an engaging space designed to help youth explore the natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources. These activities offer a variety of hands-on activities that promote outdoor learning and foster curiosity about nature and the environment. These interactive activities are focused on unlocking the young creative artistic minds. This zone encourages youth to connect with nature, their imagination and interpretation, as well as embracing outdoor challenges. This initiative helps young visitors grow both physically and mentally while enhancing their appreciation for history and the natural world.
David Coles and the Maine Street Blues
David Coles and the Maine Street Blues
David B. Coles & Main Street Blues Band
- David B. Coles is the leader of the Main Street Blues Band, a talented group that blends classic blues with modern influences. Known for their high-energy performances, they have a dedicated following in the local blues scene. David, an experienced guitarist and vocalist, brings soul and passion to the band’s music, drawing inspiration from blues legends. The band often performs at community events and festivals, where they captivate audiences with their authentic sound. Their performances reflect a deep commitment to keeping the blues tradition alive and thriving.
Dontavius Williams - The Chronicles of Adam
- The Chronicles of Adam is a first-person Historical Interpretation of a slave by the name of Adam. Although based on a real person, this story is comprised of various accounts, historical facts, and life lessons for audiences of any age to enjoy.
Janice Curtis Greene
Janice Curtis Greene
Janice Curtis Greene is an accomplished storyteller, an American Griot. She has been telling African, African American and Multicultural stories for over 25 years. She is the President and Life Member of the National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) and Life Member and Past President of the Griots’ Circle of Maryland, Inc. Janice Curtis Greene has delighted adult and student audiences at various churches, schools, colleges, libraries, hospitals, festivals and gatherings throughout the United States including Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
Kelvin Fowler
Kelvin Fowler
Kelvin Fowler is a dedicated living history performer who brings the powerful story of Josiah Henson to life. Through immersive reenactments, he captures Henson's harrowing journey from slavery to freedom, showcasing the resilience and strength that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. With a passion for historical accuracy, Kelvin meticulously recreates the life of this influential figure in the Underground Railroad. His performances are deeply educational and emotional, drawing audiences into the struggles and triumphs of Henson’s life. Kelvin's portrayal helps preserve the legacy of an often-overlooked hero in the fight for freedom and justice.
New Perspectives Theatre Company
New Perspectives Theatre Company
New Perspectives Theatre Company
- New Perspectives is an award-winning theatre company founded in 1991 as a multi-racial ensemble committed to using theatre as a catalyst for positive social change. The company's mission is to develop and present new plays, with a particular focus on promoting the works of women and people of color. By reinterpreting classic plays through a fresh lens, they seek to restore the often-overlooked contributions of women and BIPOC artists to the theatrical canon. New Perspectives is also dedicated to bringing theatre to underserved audiences, especially young people and underserved communities. Their work aims to build essential life skills, encourage social engagement, and foster participation in society. Over the years, the company has earned acclaim for its innovative approach to storytelling and community outreach. Their commitment to diversity and inclusion remains central to their vision.
Renna McKinney
Renna McKinney
Renna McKinney
- The President of the Harrisville/Malone Cemetery Maintenance Fund, a nonprofit organization working towards restoring Malones Church in Madison, Maryland. Renna has shared her musical gift at regional historical events.
Valerie Still
Valerie Still
Valerie Still, a former professional basketball player, is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and education. She is deeply involved in mentoring young people, helping them develop skills for success in both academics and life. Valerie's dedication is also rooted in her proud family legacy, as she is a descendant of William Still, a key figure in the Underground Railroad. This connection to her family's history fuels her commitment to social justice and guiding youth toward positive futures. Through her work, Valerie continues to inspire young people to overcome adversity and strive for greatness.
Vince Leggett
Vince Leggett
Vince Leggett is the founder and president of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, established in 1984. The foundation works to preserve and celebrate the maritime history of African Americans in the Chesapeake Bay area, amassing a vast collection of records and photographs. Leggett is also an author, publishing The Chesapeake Bay Through Ebony Eyes, which highlights African American contributions to the region’s maritime heritage. In 2003, he was named an honorary Admiral of the Chesapeake. His efforts have been nationally recognized, including by the Library of Congress.
April Caddell
April Caddell
April Caddell, raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, became involved in social justice activism at a young age through the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement. She volunteered with the National Park Service at sites like the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the George Washington Carver Museum. A graduate of Spelman College, she interned at the Highlander Research and Education Center, where she contributed to youth and cultural organizing programs. April holds an MA in Women’s Studies and a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Foundations of Education. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Stillman College.
Shelton Hawkins
Shelton Hawkins
Shelton Hawkins, a native of Easton, Maryland, returned to his hometown and noticed the once-bustling Idlewild Park basketball courts were empty. Determined to revive the community space, he partnered with Easton Town Councilwoman Megan Cook to create a public art project on the courts. Their project expanded to include both Idlewild and Moton Park, with designs created by local high school students. After securing funding from multiple sources, the courts were resurfaced, repainted, and transformed into community hubs. Shelton's vision includes hosting regular youth basketball clinics to keep the courts vibrant.
Mid Shore Voices United
Mid Shore Voices United
Mid Shore Voices United is a vibrant choir formed in November 2023, uniting singers from diverse religious denominations across Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The group originated when the Covenant Gospel Choir, Friends For Christ, and the Second Generation Community Chorus of Federalsburg, Maryland, joined forces for a local benefit event. This collaboration sparked the creation of a regional musical collective, drawing members from towns such as St. Michaels, Easton, Federalsburg, and Cambridge in Maryland. Additionally, the choir includes participants from Delaware communities like Dover, Milford, and Wilmington, as well as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their shared passion for music and community outreach reflects their commitment to bringing people together through song. Mid Shore Voices United continues to foster unity and uplift spirits across the region through their performances.
Julia Bernier
Julia Bernier
Dr. Julia W. Bernier earned her PhD in African American Studies from the W.E.B. Du Bois Department at UMass Amherst. Before joining Washington & Jefferson College, she taught at the University of North Alabama and was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow for the Study of Slavery at Georgetown University. Her research centers on the lives of enslaved people, slavery, and abolition in nineteenth-century America. She also explores slavery’s enduring legacy on university campuses and beyond. Bernier’s forthcoming book, Freedom’s Currency: Slavery, Capitalism, and Self-Purchase, will be published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. Currently, she is working on her next project, All on Board: Slavery and Shipping on the Brig Orleans, with support from institutions like the American Antiquarian Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black
Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black
Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black is a Professor in the Department of History and the Director of the Dietrich College Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research specialty is the trans-national history of West African rice farmers, peasant farmers in pre-colonial Upper Guinea Coast and enslaved laborers on rice plantations in the antebellum South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. Throughout her career, Fields-Black has used interdisciplinary sources and methods to uncover the voices of historical actors in pre-colonial West Africa and the African Diaspora who did not author written
sources.
Fields-Black’s new book, COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War (Oxford University Press, trade list, February 2024) offers the fullest account to date of Tubman’s Civil War service.
