The Office of Intercultural Affairs
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- Ground Floor of Minta Martin Hall
Cultural Resources
The Washington College History Project was launched in 2020 to explore the history of Black culture in Kent County and at Washington College. The results include the Asterisk Initiative, which looks at the intersection of notable figures in the College’s history with slavery in the burgeoning nation. The project also included the works and research below, enriching our understanding of Black culture on campus and in our region.
Washington College History Project
On the Black History of Kent County and Washington College
This collection of artwork is the culmination of a two-year project by history based artist Jason Patterson that began during his time as the Frederick Douglass visiting fellow at Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. This project addresses the experiences of African American lives, starting in post-colonial Kent County, Maryland and at Washington College, the first college established in the United States after the new nation's founding.
Digital Exhibition in Kohl Gallery
Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at Washington College and in Kent County
Legacy Day celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans in Kent County. In the midst of the pandemic, organizers hosted a virtual celebration in August 2020 — a highlight of which was a community conversation organized by the College's Kohl Gallery and supported by a Chesapeake Heartland Staff/Faculty Fellowship. "Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at Washington College and Kent County" was offered in conjunction with artist Jason Patterson's upcoming October exhibition: "On the Black History of Washington College and Kent County."
Moderated by Reverend Monique Davis, Pastor of Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church in Worton, Maryland, the panel included local artist Jason Patterson and collaborator Jaelon Moaney, as well as special guests Jocelyn Elmore, Darius Johnson, and Carolyn K. Erwin—all graduates of Washington College. Patterson is the Starr Center's Frederick Douglass Visiting Fellow.
Legacies of Education and the Black Experience
Slavery and Freedom at Washington College
Since he Spring of 2018, Professor of History Carol Wilson has led teams of undergraduates investigating Washington College's connection to enslavement, sharing the stories of slaveholders associated with the institution as well as those of enslaved people and free blacks working on campus.
Ebony & Ivory Towers: An Oral History Project Exploring The Black Student Experience
at Washington College
For more than 60 years, Black students at this historically white college struggled to build a supportive community among people of color, and to press College leaders to create a campus culture that is safe and welcoming for all people, regardless of race or nationality. The Ebony & Ivory Towers Oral History Project reveals the history of black students organizing at Washington College. The project, sponsored by the Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, is the result of the work of a team of students—Ama Amponsah ’22, Jada Aristilde ’21, Jannice Hall ’22, Katy Shenk ’21, Dylan Snow ’23, Mayowa Taiwo ’24, Valery Tabraj ’22, Tamia Williams ’21, and Maegan White ’22.