Last weekend’s Chestertown’s eighth annual Legacy Day Weekend 2022 once again celebrated the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in Kent County showcased through art exhibits, reenactors, history preservation workshops, dance parties, and an evening of music, food and craft vendors at Wilmer Park.
With exhibits at the Historical Society of Kent County and Sumner Hall, the legacy of Black Kent veterans was highlighted to preserve and teach the long history of their service and sacrifice from the Civil War to current active duty and retired service members.
The weekend was produced by Sumner Hall Post 25 with the Historical Society of Kent County and partnered with Kent County, Historic Chestertown, Downtown Chestertown Association, Washington College’s Chesapeake Heartland, Garfield Center for the Arts, RiverArts, Kent Cultural Alliance, Sultana Foundation, and Kent Cultural Alliance.
The Spy couldn’t think of a better way to express the meaning of Legacy Day than to talk with President of Sumner Hall and 30-year Navy veteran Larry Wilson about growing up in Kent County and discovering for himself a history never taught to him as a young man.
Wilson sees the mission of Legacy Day as both celebration and instruction and to help instill in Black Kent Youth a deeper sense of identity and pride in their ancestors.
This video includes a talk with Larry Wilson and few highlights of the weekend and is approximately ten minutes in length.
Jim Bogden says
Very nice interview and video! Thank you for this kind of coverage of meaningful local events.
Chris Gordon says
My wife and I moved to Chestertown a few years ago. We were delighted to find there were folks here like Mr. Wilson who has done so much for our new community. Thank you Larry, and good luck reaching out to younger folks and getting them involved. You are helping to make Chestertown a wonderful place to live.