HOLLYWOOD, Md. – Historic Sotterley welcomed the community Saturday, August 24th to recognize the diversity and interconnectedness of Southern Maryland, and celebrate a Day of Unity and Healing 2024 “Together We Can Make a Difference.”
This year’s event brought together the Descendants of History Sottereley, members of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, descendants of the Cheyenne/Blackfoot and Shawnee nations, and community leaders who are committed to creating a better understanding of Historic Sotterley’s rich, complex and intertwined past.
Sotterley was a landing site for the Middle Passage, a voyage that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas. The ship Generous Jenny brought 260 Africans to Sotterley. Twenty-nine died on the journey, some stayed at Sotterley and others were sold throughout Maryland and Virginia.
On Saturday their descendants stood in The Sacred Space under an arch constructed from material found on the property and rang a bell 29 times in honor of their lives and sacrifices.
At the heart of the Day of Unity is Historic Sotterley’s Descendants’ Project whose members share ancestors who previously walked Sotterley’s land. Descendants of Sotterley’s enslaved, enslavers and freemen are committed to using their complex ties to promote a conversation about the hard truths of an often dark and painful history.
As difficult as this conversation can be, the healing it fosters was evident on Saturday. Jesse Jackson once compared the United States to a patchwork quilt. A bunch of small pieces sewn together to create a solid multi-colored land, so are the Descendants of Sotterley. They have learned that we must accept the good and the ugly of our past. Their lesson to the rest of us is not to choose ignorance or denial but to choose transparency, conversation, and the acceptance of our different realities. In doing so, we can embrace a shared history and collectively work together toward building a future that reflects us all.
Photos courtesy of Ceandra B. Scott, Sole Scott Photography.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
