ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — In a powerful act of remembrance and reflection, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) and The Beloved Community will gather Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at 4:45 p.m. for a ceremonial processional honoring the legacy of those enslaved more than 150 years ago on a site on the college campus.
Community members are invited to join in this walk, The Sacred Journey: The Beloved Community, which honors the anniversary of the award-winning Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland, a haunting and extraordinary memorial to generations of enslaved peoples who lived and died near this re-constructed house. Attendees are encouraged to wear traditional African attire. The event will take place rain or shine and is free and open to the public.
The event will begin with a gathering at the Commemorative, located at 47777 Mattapany Road, near the athletics facilities (note: the Commemorative is on the College campus but has a Lexington Park address for GPS purposes).
Performances include choral selections by SMCM’s St. Mary’s Singers and a student-led reading of “erasure poetry” from the Commemorative. Remarks will be given by St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Rhonda Phillips and Associate Professor Garrey Dennie.
Participants will then walk the Procession of Dignity to the college waterfront, accompanied by student percussionists and musicians. Along the procession route, signage will pose reflective questions and an interpreter will highlight historical elements relating to the history of slavery on the lands now occupied by the College.
Upon arriving at the waterfront, participants will be treated to a choral program by the St. Peter Claver Men’s Choir. Students will perform a solemn reading of the names of the enslaved—more than 120 individuals, some known only by a single name or even no name at all—who lived near the campus grounds. The event will conclude with a libation ceremony led by Gwendoline Bankins, president of the Board of Trustees of Historic Sotterley. Attendees are again encouraged to wear traditional African clothing. The event will take place rain or shine.
The event continues Saturday, Nov. 15, with a concert performance by The String Queens at the Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center. Tickets and more information are available at www.smcm.edu/dodge.
About the Commemorative:
The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland provides visitors with space to acknowledge and learn from the lives of those who once toiled here while offering a place for reflection and introspection about the nature of slavery and its connections to modern society.
The Commemorative uses the slave quarter as a symbol of resilience, determination and persistence. It complements this symbolism through words, combining names of the enslaved with “erasure poetry” adapted from historical documents related to slavery in and around St. Mary’s City.
St. Mary’s College, the National Public Honors College, is ranked as the #5 public liberal arts college in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The first standalone public honors college, SMCM is a model for transformative and experiential education. Approximately 1,600 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.