There is something extraordinary about the 4th of July beyond the parades and fireworks. While those events are the big draws, there are always a few random moments during the day, like a child waving an American flag or a family picnic in a public park, when you really sense the great love people have for this country and its history.
It happened to the Spy yesterday in Oxford.
Invited to a casual drop-by at the Water’s Edge Museum for its 4th of July celebration of the Middle Passage, the Spy had a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to interview eight students who will be participating in a month-long Field School program in Bellevue.
Co-sponsored by Washington College and the nonprofit Bellevue Passage Museum of Bellevue, MD, these young academics will be digging deep in the town’s history, culture, commerce and current challenges. And they will be using that rich knowledge when they return their own communities to help preserve similar “at risk” neighborhoods.
Coming from such diverse homes as Atlanta, Houston, Montreal, the Caribbean, and even the exotic Western Shore of Maryland, these remarkable scholars have dedicated part of the summer to understand Bellevue’s particular history and culture.
In talking to these young people and hearing of their academic journey before arriving on the ferry to Bellevue, it was moving to hear their collective mission to preserve the African American history of these small hamlets. It also reminded us of a new generation of American leaders dedicated to these communities and this country.
There can be no better 4th of July celebration than that.
This video is approximately ten minutes in length. For more information on the Field School program at Washington College please go here
Judy Gifford says
What an impressive group! A glimmer of hope in these worrisome times.