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On the Black History of Kent County and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½

This collection of artwork is the culmination of a two-year project by history based artist Jason Patterson that began during his time as the Frederick Douglass visiting fellow at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½â€™s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. This project addresses the experiences of African American lives, starting in post-colonial Kent County, Maryland and at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, the first college established in the United States after the new nation's founding.

 

Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ and in Kent County

Legacy Day celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans in Kent County.  In the midst of the pandemic, organizers hosted a virtual celebration in August 2020 — a highlight of which was a community conversation organized by the College's Kohl Gallery and supported by a Chesapeake Heartland Staff/Faculty Fellowship. "Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ and Kent County" was offered in conjunction with artist Jason Patterson's upcoming October exhibition: "On the Black History of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ and Kent County."

Moderated by Reverend Monique Davis, Pastor of Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church in Worton, Maryland, the panel included local artist Jason Patterson and collaborator Jaelon Moaney, as well as special guests Jocelyn Elmore, Darius Johnson, and Carolyn K. Erwin—all graduates of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. Patterson is the Starr Center's Frederick Douglass Visiting Fellow.

 

Slavery and Freedom at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½

Since he Spring of 2018, Professor of History Carol Wilson has led teams of undergraduates investigating ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s connection to enslavement, sharing the stories of slaveholders associated with the institution as well as those of enslaved people and free blacks working on campus.

Ebony & Ivory Towers:  An Oral History Project Exploring The Black Student Experience at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½

For more than 60 years, Black students at this historically white college struggled to build a supportive community among people of color, and to press College leaders to create a campus culture that is safe and welcoming for all people, regardless of race or nationality. The Ebony & Ivory Towers Oral History Project reveals the history of black students organizing at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. The project, sponsored by the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, is the result of the work of a team of students—Ama Amponsah ’22, Jada Aristilde ’21, Jannice Hall ’22, Katy Shenk ’21, Dylan Snow ’23, Mayowa Taiwo ’24, Valery Tabraj ’22, Tamia Williams ’21, and Maegan White ’22.