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Home // Unified Committee for Afro- American Contributions of St. Mary’s County (UCAC)

Unified Committee for Afro- American Contributions of St. Mary’s County (UCAC)

Cardinal Gibbons Institute

 

UCAC is a MD non-profit whose mission is to document, increase understanding of and foster African American contributions to the history and development of St. Mary’s County while advocating for improvements in health, education, and community building for all citizens of St. Mary’s County. We are a diverse, all-volunteer organization established in 1995.

Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions members conduct and share oral history interviews, have mounted museum exhibits, published a book and video documentary, have built two monuments, serve as docents for historic Drayden School, and hold an annual Juneteenth Celebration. Our collection of oral histories by African American elders is available in multiple library archives and on our website. We actively partner with St. Mary’s County Museums, public schools, and libraries, as well as St. Mary’s College of MD, Historic Sotterley and St. Mary’s County Historical Society.

Contact/Location

301-481-0992

https://ucaconline.org/

Hours of Operation

Visitor Center

Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm

Offices and MAC

Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm

Park Grounds

7 days a week, dawn to dusk

Access to the UCAC information comes through the organization’s contacts and at events throughout the year.

Highlights

Provides information and resources regarding the history of Black, Indigenous and Other People of Color in a variety of formats:

Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions members conduct and share oral history interviews, have mounted museum exhibits, published a book and video documentary, have built two monuments, serve as docents for historic Drayden School, and hold an annual Juneteenth Celebration.
Our collection of oral histories by African American elders is available in multiple library archives and on our website. We actively partner with St. Mary’s County Museums, public schools, and libraries, as well as St. Mary’s College of MD, Historic Sotterley and St. Mary’s County Historical Society.

Archaeological sites with interpretive panels. These sites and panels are accessible on Park trails.

FAQ Archaeology Exhibit in the Visitor’s Center includes segments on pre-contact period sites and on Sukeek’s Cabin site.

JPPM Library has over 15,000 titles relating to all aspects of Maryland’s history. Books do not circulate, but an online catalog is available. Southern Maryland Regional Files are also housed in the MAC Lab.

Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab has over 10 million artifacts spanning from 10,000 years ago until the early-mid 20th century. Portions available online; physical access upon request during MAC Lab hours. Qualifying institutions can borrow artifacts for display or study.

Audio and transcripts of oral histories of local Black families. Available upon request.

Portraits, daguerreotypes, and primary documents of local Black families. Available to view upon request.

Through Ebony Eyes digital exhibit can be viewed on large screendisplay.

Field trip programs for school age children on rural life and sharecropping are scheduled through the Education Department.

Park-wide special events like Discovering Archaeology Day and American Indian Heritage Day are free and open to the public.

Educators, docents, and archaeologists give tours, talks, and participate in outreach programs upon request.

JPPM hosts Calvert County’s NAACP Family and Community Day each June

Explore Resources

Juneteenth celebrated in Southern Maryland for the first time at multiple sites

Description:
Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and is sometimes called Freedom Day.
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Civic Ideas and Action

UCAC – Juneteenth

Description:
UCAC sponsors the Juneteenth Celebration in St. Mary's County each year at the Lancaster Park in Lexington Park. "Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day.  It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience.  It is inclusive of all races, ethni...
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Themes:
African American People and Culture
Access:

2024 Juneteenth Celebration June 15, 2024

Free Family Event.  Bring your own chairs and small tents or umbrellas!

12PM

JOHN G. LANCASTER PARK

WILLOWS ROAD, LEXINGTON PARK, MD 20653

More information at:

UCAC: Drayden Schoolhouse

Description:
Drayden Schoolhouse - Explore the stories of struggle of the St. Mary’s County African American community during an era of segregated education at this authentically restored, one-room schoolhouse. The Drayden African American Schoolhouse is a frame building with its foundation resting on tree trunk...
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Rural Life in Southern Maryland
Access:

located at 18287 Cherryfield Rd, Drayden, MD 20630

Open first Saturday of the month 11 am – 2 pm April through October

More information at Drayden African American Schoolhouse – St. Mary’s County, MD (stmaryscountymd.gov)

UCAC: Bitmoji

Description:
Offering Information on the history of a range of locations.  Sites and organizations around St. Mary's County have created Bitmoji classrooms to showcase the local history resources they have available. Content aligns with 4th and 5th grade curriculum, but the sites have resources for students of a...
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, People, Places, and Our Southern Maryland Environment
Access:

Bitmoji’s can be found at:

https://sites.google.com/view/smcbitmoji/st-marys-county-local-history-resources

 

U.S. Colored Troops Monument

Description:
The United States Colored Troops (USCT) Memorial Statue to the more than 700 African American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War.  It is located in Lancaster Park. The memorial was completed and dedicated in 2012....
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Civic Ideas and Action
Access:

Dawn to dusk

John G. Lancaster Park 21550 Willows Rd, Lexington Park, MD 20653

African American Monument in Elmer Brown Park

Description:
The African American Monument in Elmer Brown Freedom Park is surrounded by six pedestals with bronze plaques and engraved bricks to say thank you to the people who paved the way for them.
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Civic Ideas and Action
Access:

Open and available at all times:

Elmer Brown Freedom Park, 21725 Tulagi Pl, Lexington Park, MD 2065

UCAC Video: With All Deliberate Speed: One High School’s Story

Description:
"With All Deliberate Speed: One High School’s Story" grew out of a project led by Merideth Taylor with support from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions. In 2003-2004, Great Mills High School students and teachers participated with Taylor in interviewi...
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Civic Ideas and Action, Diversity in Southern Maryland
Access:

The documentary may be viewed at:

Library (ucaconline.org)

UCAC: In Relentless Pursuit of an Education

Description:
The remarkable book In Relentless Pursuit of an Education: African American Stories from a Century of Segregation 1865-1967 indicates on the UCAC website, "This generation displays no nostalgia for segregation, but they do recall how their daily life was marked not only by inequality, but also by de...
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Themes:
African American People and Culture, Civic Ideas and Action, Rural Life in Southern Maryland
Access:

This book is available from the St. Mary’s County Library in digital or hardcopy, and can be purchased online through UCAC’s website:

UCAC (ucaconline.org)

Timeframe:

Early to mid-20th century

Themes:

African American People and Culture, Indigenous People and Culture, Diversity in Southern Maryland, People, Places, and Our Southern Maryland Environment, Women’s History

Access:

During open hours for JPPM Visitor Center: Wed-Sunday, 10am-4pm. Contact Visitor Center at [email protected] or 410-586-8538.

Description:

Located at the Visitor Center, this exhibit shows a number of archaeological artifacts from across the state of Maryland, with detailed panels on a pre-contact period site (and its environment) and on the Sukeek’s Cabin site.

Visit Website

faq archaeology

Item #1

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Equity in History Coalition

The Southern Maryland Equity in History Coalition is a transformative collaboration of local organizations and educational institutions, committed to elevating the history of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color in our region.

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This project has been financed in part with State funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
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