The remains of at least 15 individuals of possibly African descent are housed in a Calvert laboratory. A statewide project launched last fall aims to reconnect these lost identities with the lineal descendants or communities that the remains are culturally affiliated with.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) last fall announced the project, Engaging with Descendant African American Communities, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the Maryland Commission of African American History and Culture and the Maryland Historical Trust.
“The core of this project is love,” Chanel C. Johnson, executive director of the Commission and the Banneker-Douglass Museum, said. “It's painting a human picture of individuals that are lost and I'm really honored to be able to be a part of such a big project, a meaningful project.”
The Maryland Historical Trust said the project at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, which is located within Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, will use genealogical records, land record research and possibly DNA testing to determine how the remains can be appropriately returned to the ground. Work is being down in accordance with the Maryland's Regulations for the Transfer of Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects.
“There's definitely going to be challenges and new discoveries and maybe some pain uncovered,” Johnson said. “The end point is going to be really fantastic and have a real, generational impact.”
Johnson said this project should take approximately three years and the museum is focused on heavily documenting the process and the results.
“Having a report documenting all of the research work is going to is paramount,” Johnson said, “as well as doing some type of exhibition, maybe some illustrations or facial reconstruction, to really bring to life who these individuals were, what community life was like in the time that they were alive and to really build on the Maryland story.”
The trust said most of the remains were recovered in the 1960s through the 1990s. Properties associated with these remains include sites near Deep Creek in Anne Arundel County, the Gott Cemetery in Calvert County, Chapel Point in Charles County, Bennetts Point in Queen Anne’s County and Twin Oaks in Wicomico County.
“These individuals were precious. Their lives were precious. Their stories, as all of our stories do, deserve to be told,” Johnson said. “We have that opportunity in 2024 with new technology, with a community and with institutions that are dedicated to make sure that these sacred stories are shared.”
Elinor Thompson, co-chair of the Ancestral Remains Committee for the commission, said this will be an ongoing project, and the learning opportunities it may provide will last forever.
“As we go along, we're going to learn about the histories of the communities that connect to the Underground Railroad,” Thompson said. “It’s not going to stop.”
The Maryland Historical Trust said the project aims to “actively engage with descendant communities in an ethical and inclusive manner” that results in “a plan for the respectful reburial of the remains that recognizes their cultural importance and historical legacy.”
“To really understand American life and how it was shaped you have to have a knowledge and understanding of Black history,” Johnson said. “Anytime that we have an opportunity to really amplify, uncover, document and share histories that have been lost … that's a sacred thing.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0