A Burial Site Reveals the Healing Power of Living Histories
News Talk
By Renata Sago | Word In Black
(WIB) – Deep in the brush of Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland, a group gathered on a small field to clear overgrown trees and shrubs. They stood together in a circle and read the names of deceased loved ones. Some wept. Others observed in silence. For centuries, the surrounding area has carried the legacy of one of the nation’s oldest free Black communities. The site, itself, on the historic Button Farm, is home to an informal burial ground. It requires a thorough clearing at least once a year — and, this year, there was a formal event.
“It attracted a pretty diverse group of people,” says living historian Anthony Cohen. “Different ethnic backgrounds and ages. Some people talked in depth about [the deceased] — what effect they had on their lives. The opportunity opened up for different people of different backgrounds to share their story, and I believe that is a way of really highlighting the commonalities as opposed to their differences.”&
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Cohen has managed Button Farm for more than 20 years, introducing visitors to 19th-century plantation life through guided tours. In the early...
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