A special Juneteenth Family Day, titled “Lifting Legacy, Revealing Truth,” will be held on Friday June 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 16501 Annapolis Road in Bowie, Maryland.
The day will be held in remembrance of the June 19, 1838 sale, when the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people, and to honor the lives of those enslaved by the Jesuits and buried at that site. The Jesuits’ 1838 sale of the enslaved men, women and children to Louisiana sugar plantation owners helped ensure the financial survival of Georgetown College, now Georgetown University.
In recent years, archaeological surveys on the grounds of Sacred Heart’s cemetery and hillside have uncovered what are believed to be the unmarked graves of hundreds of people who had been enslaved at the White Marsh plantation operated by the Jesuits’ religious order in that area before emancipation.
During the Juneteenth Family Day on the grounds of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a welcome and historical program will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by a storyboard unveiling ceremony from noon to 12:45 p.m.
Those attending the historical program should register via this Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989316233405?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Juneteenth Family Day afternoon activities occurring on the hilltop behind the church will include activities for all ages, children to elders. There will be a moon bounce, free pony rides and games for children. Food trucks and vendors will also be on site. Children’s crafts and field activities will be offered from 1:30 to 4 p.m. No registration is needed for the afternoon events, and on site parking is available.
From 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Faith Mussa, an internationally renowned musician from Malawi, will perform in the Hogan Center at White Marsh Hall on the grounds. That will be followed by an elder’s circle from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and a genealogy workshop from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. led by Jerome Spears, with both events happening in the Hogan Center.
Then from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the center, Kevin Porter, a descendant of enslaved ancestors who serves as the president of the White Marsh Historical Society, will speak about White March history. From 2:15 to 3:45 p.m., Melisande Short Colombe will lead a discussion on “Here I Am” at the Hogan Center cafeteria.
The Juneteenth Family Day is being held in coordination with Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the White Marsh Historical Society. A flier for the event includes the phrases: “We Remember. We Honor. We Heal.”; “Honoring the Ancestors. Building the Future.”; and “Together, We Carry the Legacy Forward.”
