As February is African American History Month, I was happy to see NPR do a story this morning on “Kinship Communities” in Montgomery County. Reporter Rebecca Sheir explained that:
It’s African American History Month, and across Montgomery County, Md., there are about 40 communities that played a very particular role in the region’s African American history. They were all settled by freed slaves in the 19th century, and include places like Lyttonsville, Lincoln Park, Sugarland, Jerusalem, Tobytown, Stewartown, Ken-Gar, Sandy Spring, and Scotland. They’re often referred to as “kinship communities.”
Last year, I spearheaded an effort with Montgomery College, the Ross Boddy Community Center, and Comcast to produce a documentary about Sandy Spring called Sandy Spring: Unity in the Time of Segregation. Khalfani Hatcher, a Montgomery College student, narrated the film and Montgomery College’s Dan Rankin produced and directed it. Terri Hogan of the Gazette told the story of how the documentary came about.
You can watch the full documentary online:
If you are interested in learning more about Kinship Communities and the rich history of Montgomery County, I encourage you to visit the Sandy Spring Museum, a wonderful cultural resource.