In recent months, I have worked with national, state, and local stakeholders to meticulously research and write nomination reports for sites to be included in the National Park Service (NPS) National Network to Freedom. This network highlights the courageous acts of resistance against enslavement through escape and flight on the Underground Railroad.
Union Bethel AME Church in the summer of 2023
These comprehensive applications undergo a rigorous review by a panel to ensure they meet evidentiary standards before being added to the national registry. I am thrilled to share that the Park Service announced on April 22 that Union Bethel A.M.E. Church was added to the network. The application was submitted for the January round of the semi-annual process.
This significant recognition underscores the church’s pivotal role in the fight for freedom and equality. During the antebellum era, the church stood as a beacon of hope and refuge for countless individuals seeking liberty and justice. This achievement celebrates the church’s enduring legacy as a symbol of resilience, courage, and determination.
The Eastern Shore Church’s inclusion among the 19 sites spanning ten states granted this prestigious designation, which is a powerful testament to its significance in American history and the Underground Railroad.
This nomination received support through a partnership between the Maryland Office of Tourism and Cecil County Tourism in cooperation with the church.
A few months ago, I received a call from a producer working on the Audible docuseries Shadowball. This series delves into the history and experiences of Black athletes in the context of social justice and racial equality. Their interest was piqued by my 2013 research, which focused on the movement to segregate Route 40 in Cecil County and Delaware. While investigating this, I encountered the arrest of the civil rights activist Erosenna “Rose” Robinson, and they are profiling this talented athlete in one segment.
Rose Robinson of Philadelphia was taken to the Elkton magistrate’s court. (Cecil Whig Photo, Sept. 14, 1961)
Robinson gained recognition in the 1950s for her talent in track and field competitions. In 1958, she won the National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) high jumping championship and joined the United States Track & Field Team. She then declined to compete with the U.S. Team in the Soviet Union despite the Cold War tensions. The athlete told Jet Magazine, “I don’t want anyone to think my athletics have political connotations. In other words, I don’t want to be used as a political pawn.”((Maria Lee, “The Pioneers: Two Black Women Whose Legacies of Sports Activism Live on,” Just Women’s Sports, Feb. 10, 2022))
This public refusal was significant as Black athletes, musicians, and other notable figures were often used by the State Department to counter the image “Jim Crow cast on America” around the globe, Women’s Sports writes.((Lee, “The Pioneers: Two Black Women Whose Legacies of Sports Activism Live on”.)),((Ryan Shepard, “Remember the Name: Rose Robinson Paved the Way for Athlete Activists”, Black Information Network, Apr 26, 2021.))
Robinson’s activism with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) led her to the Route 40 campaign in September 1961. While traveling on the dual highway alongside fellow activist Wally and Juanita Nelson, they stopped at a diner in North East, MD. When the three Freedom Riders refused to leave the restaurant, the state police intervened and arrested them. Once booked into the Cecil County Jail, the “sit-downers” staged a hunger strike and refused to cooperate with the court.((Mike Dixon, “Freedom Riders Arrive on Route 40 in Northeastern MD as CORE Works to Integrate Route 40,” Window on Cecil County’s Past, August 1, 2013.))
After fasting for several days, the sheriff sent Robinson and the Nelsons to Crownsville, the state psychiatric hospital for African Americans. However, the mental health clinician at Crownsville found them to be mentally sound, promptly returning the protestors to the Elkton Jail.((Dixon, “Freedom Riders on Route 40.”))
A crowd gathered outside the courtroom of Magistrate Leonard Lockhart, but the defendants refused to leave their cells. (Morning News Photo, Sept. 12, 1961)
This unfolding situation gained attention from city dailies and the African American press, and the group came to be known as the “Elkton Three.” Shortly after, their $50 fines were suspended, and officials quietly released them.((James D. Williams, “One Way to Get In A Mental Hospital,” The Afro-American, September 30, 1961.)),((Rufus Wells, “Guilty of Being Colored,”Afro-American, September 30, 1961.)) The movement to fully desegregate Route 40 gained momentum, and under pressure from President Kennedy, Maryland Governor Millard Tawes signed a public accommodation law in 1963 prohibiting discrimination in restaurants and hotels.((Maryland State Archives, “Executive Records, Governor J. Millard Tawes, 1959-1967,” Archives of Maryland Online.))
I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address at the annual Cecil County Branch of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet on November 4, 2023. My speech focused on the richness of African American History and the invaluable contributions of earlier generations.
Cecil County Branch NAACP 61st Annual Banquet
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn about the past from a remarkable group of tradition-bearers who have generously shared their stories and life experiences. Their experiences have greatly influenced my understanding of the African American narrative. I was delighted to be able to share some of these remarkable journeys through time, tracing the footsteps of those who illuminated the way and highlighting their incredible contributions, resilience, and deep family history.
The Cecil County Branch was organized in February 1962. A front-page photo in the Cecil Democrat showed the officers meeting to organize at Wright’s AME Church in Elkton. McKinley Scott of North East was the Vice-President; Mildred Johnson of Elkton treasurer; Rev. H. R. Curtis, Elkton, President; and Laurie Loper Charlestown, secretary.
It was an honor to join the NAACP in celebrating and reflecting on the enduring legacy of African Americans.
Talking about African American History, Mike Dixon was the keynote speaker at the NAACP Banquet
CROSSROADS TO FREEDOM WALKING TOUR CECILTON – SEPT, 24, 2023 @ 1 p.m. WALKING TOUR FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MONTH ABOUT ONE HOUR FREE
For International Underground Railroad Month, enjoy this walk through Cecilton as we explore the story of the Underground Railroad in the land between the Bohemia and Sassafras rivers. During the casual Sunday stroll in a fine historic community, gain an understanding of the area in the antebellum period, hear about freedom seekers from southern Cecil County, and visit Union Bethel AME Church, a historic house of worship.
As we explore the Crossroads to Freedom on this Underground Railroad walking tour, we will consider residents’ experiences in the mid-19th century while highlighting some of the local people in the decades leading to emancipation. These include Edward Richardson and his flight to freedom in New Jersey, Bishop Levi J. Coppin, and Private George Douglass, a Civil War Soldier.
The free tour, led by Mike Dixon, starts at the town hall., 117 West Main Street. To reserve your space, register by calling the town at 410-275-2692 This walking tour is brought to you by the Town of Cecilton, Union Bethel AME Church, and Cecil County Tourism.
