Lakeland Spirit: Virtually Explore this Historic African-American Community this Thursday

If you’ve enjoyed Route One Fun’s series on nearby Lakeland, the historic African-American community of College Park, then listen up! Register now for this Thursday’s virtual presentation, “The Lakeland Spirit: Through Digital Footprints.” At this virtual event, you’ll be treated to an evening full of oral histories, personal documents and photographs spotlighting the resilient spirit of this century-old African-American community in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The Lakeland Spirit: Through Digital Footprints

Register here for The Lakeland Spirit: Through Digital Footprints” a virtual program of community heritage and stories, Thursday, November 19 at 7 p.m.

In this free public event, researchers and scholars will share a fraction of the nearly 1,300 archival materials created by current and former Lakelanders from 1950 to 1980, and collected during a series of community digitization days last year. Presented in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Department of American Studies and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), the event is made possible with a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information and to register, visit the Lakeland Community Heritage Project and Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities.

About Lakeland, College Park

Located within the municipal boundaries of College Park, Lakeland was established around 1890. A small group of residents with multi-generational histories in the community founded the Lakeland Community Heritage Project twelve years ago to preserve and document the community’s story. Reaching out to current residents and to Lakelanders throughout the county, state, and nation, LCHP initiated the digital history archives in 2014, with the cooperation of the Lakeland Civic Association, as well as academic and hands-on advising from faculty and students at the University of Maryland College Park. “Our collaboration is unique, as it honors the community’s ownership of their story and resources while equally valuing the scholarly viewpoint, expertise and contribution of the university.” said Maxine Gross, a founding member of LCHP.

Panelists

The following panelists will explore the context and significance of new contributions to the Lakeland Digital Archive:

• Joanne Braxton, Ph.D., Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Professor of the Humanities Emeritus, William & Mary; CEO of the Braxton Institute: A Ministry of Teaching and Healing;
• Violetta Sharps Jones, Historian and Genealogist of African American History in Prince George’s County, Md.
• Avis D. Matthews, M.A., Historian, school desegregation and black racial-cultural identity; &
• Marya Annette McQuirter, Ph.D., Curator, dc1968 project

Historian Omar Eaton-Martinez, Assistant Division Chief, Historical Resources for Prince George’s County Parks & Recreation, will facilitate the discussion. The virtual presentation will be produced by MITH.

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Share the Good Word

If you enjoy learning about Lakeland, won’t you please share this post with a friend or neighbor? Maxine shared information about this event with us all because so many do not know the history of this significant African American community – and it’s important that we do. Please share this post, comment below to let Maxine know your thoughts and be on the lookout for Route One Fun’s next post in this series, focusing on this historic community and its relationship with the University of Maryland.

* Unless otherwise note, all photos courtesy of Maxine Gross and the Lakeland Community Heritage Project.

Learn More 

Read more here:

• Lakeland: Historic African American Community of College Park.
• Education & the African American Community of Lakeland, College Park

Buy a copy of Lakeland: African Americans in College Park.