Share your memories of Lakeland by on-line interview for the Lakeland Digital Archive and podcast, A Place Called Lakeland
Stories needed for any period from 1930s to the present
For more information contact Maxine Gross at 240-643-7264 or email mailto:maxine.a.gross@gmail.com?subject=Interview: A Place Called Lakeland
On the way out to Sunday school at Embry A.M.E.Church my sister and I would pick blossoms from one of our mother’s azalea bushes. They grew (and still do) in the front yard, along the walkway, just under the picture window. Mom would take a pin from her sewing basket and attach those colorful clusters to the front of our matching, spring dresses. The flowers we choose were pink to show our mother was yet living. With a few coins tied in fancy handkerchiefs for the morning collection clutched in our hands off we would go. Walking along Pierce Avenue, making a right at the corner, passing Aunt Baby’s house our arrival was timed to be prompt for lessons presided over by Miss Dessie. After church there was Sunday dinner with our parents and grandparents. There would be two meats, Mother’s Day was a special day.
What are your memories of Mother’s Day?
Share your Lakeland Memories
This is a great time to pull out those old boxes of papers and scrapbooks and share memories with family, friends and LCHP.
Just use your phone, computer or scanner. You can post it to Lakeland’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/lakelandchp/ and or send it to LCHP for the Lakeland Digital Archive. Our email is LakelandCollegePark@gmail.com.
You can
For questions please email mailto:maxine.a.gross@gmail.com?subject=Sharing My Lakeland Stories.
Easter in Lakeland was a great day of celebration centered around our churches and homes. It was a day made up of morning worship, egg hunts, a new outfit and feasting. I remember being allowed to wear our new Easter coats and going into Washington to see the cherry blossoms.
What are your memories of Easter?
Share your Lakeland Memories
This is a great time to pull out those old boxes of papers and scrapbooks and share memories with family, friends and LCHP.
Just use your phone, computer or scanner. You can post it to Lakeland’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/lakelandchp/ and or send it to LCHP for the Lakeland Digital Archive. Our email is LakelandCollegePark@gmail.com.
You can
For questions please email mailto:maxine.a.gross@gmail.com?subject=Sharing My Lakeland Stories.
Thank you to Route One Fun for publishing the first of a short series of articles on Lakeland. The first can be found here https://www.routeonefun.com/lakeland-african-american-college-park/. Please share this with your family and friends.
May Day at Lakeland School was a rite of spring each year. It was celebrated by the whole school community. Sadly, this all stopped when Mr. Edgar Smith retired in 1966. Personally, I only experienced the festivities during my kindergarten year in 1966. I remember it as the most special day of the school year with performances of singing and dancing in the morning, a special lunch and field games in the afternoon. Parents even came to share the day.
Share your Lakeland Memories
This is a great time to pull out those old boxes of papers and scrapbooks and share memories with family, friends and LCHP.
Just use your phone, computer or scanner. You can post it to Lakeland’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/lakelandchp/ and or send it to LCHP for the Lakeland Digital Archive. Our email is LakelandCollegePark@gmail.com.
You can
For questions please email mailto:maxine.a.gross@gmail.com?subject=Sharing My Lakeland Stories.
Last year a great deal of work for LCHP programs was achieved by volunteers and through partnerships with University of Maryland Department of American Studies, Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities and College of Information Studies. In our decade of work, we have developed a unique, equitable collaborative relationship between a community and scholars. This work will continue with a new $100,000 grant from National Endowment for the Humanities.
The focus of this year’s work has been the Lakeland Digital Archive. Collection of new oral histories and images was done with funding from two grants. A College Park Foundation grant supported work with the Last Class of Lakeland High School. A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities provided funds used for general collections work. That project will end with a presentation , Lakelanders Spirit: Thru digital footprints, our stories and heritage on Saturday, September 19 at Embry AME Church.
‘Outside of these funds work was done to better organize and document our materials and investigate ways to make the Archive more sustainable and accessible. This effort includes exploring relationships with other archives including UMCP, Morgan State University and others. Smaller projects are underway to complete Geographic Mapping of Lakeland and create information about the movements of residents within the community over time.
Notable this year has been the work of two young Lakelanders, Courtnie Thurston, Morgan State University graduate student and Cameron Thurston. These two have added a great deal of energy, creativity and a critical perspective to the work.
Outreach activities this year have included presentations of our work and the Lakeland Story at Trolley Trail Day, UM classes and professional group meetings as well as Black Communities: A Conference for Collaboration, Durham, NC.
