We're Still Here: Black Countryside Communities in Kent County

Join us for a presentation and community discussion with Darius Johnson, historical preservation scholar, former HSKC board member, and current Project Director at Chesapeake Heartland.

Set amidst the natural beauty of the Harwood Nature Center at the Lawrence Wetlands Preserve, this program will explore the histories and legacies of Black countryside communities in Kent County, including Butlertown, Big Woods, Still Pond, and Coleman. These communities have long been centers of empowerment, resilience, and belonging, shaping the county’s story in profound and lasting ways.

Facts and figures related to African American history in Kent County have been increasingly documented and celebrated in recent decades, yet a deep and often complicated gap remains in sharing many of the stories of success, empowerment, and lived experience that give meaning to the data. We’re Still Here aims to take a step toward bridging that gap. Drawing from his ongoing research and preservation work, Johnson will share histories and host a discussion illuminating the strength and continuity of these communities—stories that remind us: we’re still here.

Darius Johnson’s roots in these Kent County communities stretch back at least 200 years through his family’s generational legacy in the region, which includes business ownership in agriculture, construction, seamstressing, and domestic work. A Kent County High School and Washington College graduate, Johnson focuses his scholarship and his work on public history, historic preservation, community development, and philanthropy. He is pursuing a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation at Goucher College, and a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program. He has worked to support strong communities in the region through affordable housing, land use and conservation, workforce development, and business analytics, and currently at the Chesapeake Heartland Project.

Harwood Nature Center at the Lawrence Wetlands Preserve
Please park in the town lots on the 300 block of Cannon Street.
Preserve is located at 301 S. Mill Street | NO PARKING AT THE PRESERVE
Limited mobility? Please call 410-778-3499 in advance.

We’re grateful to event sponsors Johnson’s Concrete and D & D Construction for helping make this program possible.