Historic Sotterley Partnerships with Purpose

In October 2021, Historic Sotterley descendants, Gwen Bankins, Angela Wilson, Donald Barber, Janice Briscoe, Gina Gilliam, and Elizabeth Cropp, and staff member, Jeanne Pirtle, participated in The Slave Dwelling Conference: Changing the Narrative. The Slave Dwelling Project was approached by the Howard County Lynching and Reconciliation, Inc., dedicated to uncovering and telling the stories of those who were victims of the violence. They requested a public viewing and discussion of the session, The Peaceful Transfer of Power: Understanding and Overcoming Resistance to Inclusive Perspectives in History. This event took place on December 9, 2021. To request a public viewing, contact our partners at The Slave Dwelling Project.

 

Descendants Gwen Bankins and Angela Wilson also took an active role in the recent Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland, The Sacred Journey, Re-making Our Lives Anew, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, on November 13, 2021. Both descendants were on the Panel of Remembrance and Relevance and presented their thoughts to the audience. The presentation was followed by a Procession of Dignity, that traveled throughout the campus to the Commemorative site and to the water’s edge. As a UNESCO Slave Route Site of Memory, Sotterley joins our friends and partners at St. Mary’s College of Maryland to continue the important work of research and remembrance.