The Charles Sumner Post #25, Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) established in Chestertown, Maryland in 1882, will reopen as an educational center, museum and performance space on Saturday, June 21, 2014 with a daylong celebration featuring music, food, games, re-enactors and a speech.
The newly restored building is one of only two such posts to remain standing in the United States today. The building was erected by U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Veterans that returned or settled in Kent County at the end of the Civil War. The building was erected in 1909 and for well over half a century served as a community center for Kent County’s African American residents; hosting lectures and social events, and attracting an array of nationally acclaimed entertainers including Ella Fitzgerald and The Sweet Hearts of Rhythm, while providing area residents with a site for developing actions for the betterment of race relations in Kent County, Maryland.
A schedule of events follows:
Saturday, June 21, 2014
9:00am – Buffalo Soldiers hold their quarterly meeting in the Building
9:30am – Buffalo Soldiers ride
10:00am – Festival Opens with children’s games and May Pole
Music Under the Tent
10:20am – Sensational Stars
10:40am – Souls of Faith
11:00am – Burke Family Singers
11:20am – Frederick Douglas – reenactor Maryland Humanities Council’s Bill Grimmett
11:40am – Mass. 54th reenactors
12:00 pm noon – Ceremonial Wreath Laying for USCT (Colored Troops)
Led by Mass 54th soldiers, and the Kent County Middle School drum corps, followed by the festival attendees March to the Memorial Park on High Street in front of the Court House. A prayer by Rev. Clarence Hawkins.
Music Under the Tent
1:00pm – The New Gospelites
1:20pm – Peter Heck & Mary Simmons
1:40pm – God’s Wealth with Sunny Fassett
2:00pm – Pam Ortiz Band
2:20pm – Pilgrim Travelers
3:00pm – Tribute to the elders of our community
3:15pm – Poetry by Robert Earl Price and introduction of speaker
3:25pm – Dr. Clara Small, Keynote speech
4:00pm – Ribbon Cutting at Charles Sumner Post, plus Star Spangled Banner
Music Under the Tent
5:00pm – The Vaughn Bratcher Project
6:00pm – 100 Voice Choir
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