One of the largest community turnouts in recent memory took place Saturday to celebrate the town’s first Annual Legacy Day.
This year’s tribute was dedicated to the memory of Charlie Graves and his Uptown Club. Graves was a significant leader in Chestertown’s black community and was respected for his active roll in championing voting rights during the tumultuous years of racial segregation. His club became famous for staging some of the finest soul and R& B music on the East Coast.
Saturday, hundreds lined the sidewalks along High Street to watch the parade of classic and muscle cars roar toward town. More filled the block in front of the Garfield Theatre to share the evening’s ceremony, enjoy local vendor meals, and dance to the soulful rhythms of Quiet Fire.
DJ Stansbury set the tone of the evening with his selection of 50s and 60s soul and R and B. Reverend Ellsworth Tolliver officiated and introduced the 400 Block Cleanup Crew, the Uptown Youth Choral, organizing committee chair Airlee Johnson, Historical Society of Kent County’s Jeanette Sherbondy, Charlie Graves’ daughter Monica, and the remarkable band, Quiet Fire. There was a poignant moment of silence for the passing of Vince Raimond who, with his wife Leslie, spent much of his life advocating for diversity in the arts in the community.
The event was sponsored by the Town of Chestertown, Kent County Arts Council, Historical Society of Kent County, Graves Family, Garfield Center for the Arts, C.V.Starr Center for the American Experience of Washington College, Jay Yerkes Construction, Diversity Dialogue Group, and community contributors like you.
The following video collage is approximately 13 minutes.
Jeanette Sherbondy says
Thank you for such wonderful reporting and for filming the event.
Germaine Lanaux says
Legacy Day is something to be proud of. I long for the day when we evolve and drop the descriptor, diverse, to a black and white crowd.