A Juneteenth gathering at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bowie brought descendants, parishioners and community members together Friday to honor the hundreds of people enslaved on the former White Marsh plantation, and to confront the history still emerging from the ground beneath their feet.
The church sits on land once worked by enslaved men, women and children owned by Jesuit priests. In 2022, archaeological surveys on the hillside behind the parish uncovered what researchers believe are hundreds of unmarked graves, part of a long鈥慼idden burial ground for those held in bondage at White Marsh.
For the , the discoveries have launched a years鈥憀ong effort to identify who is buried there and reconnect their stories to living descendants.
Kevin Porter, the society鈥檚 president and a descendant of the Queen family, said researchers are still combing through records to piece together the names and lives of those buried on the property.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still going through digging, through archives, through church records, archives in D.C. 鈥� to put the pieces together to reconstruct these families,鈥� he said.
Porter said the group envisions the site becoming a place of truth鈥憈elling and reflection.
鈥淲e just want people to stand here and just know that they have ancestors here,鈥� he said.
Plans are underway for a permanent memorial listing the names uncovered so far.
Friday鈥檚 Juneteenth Family Day included the unveiling of new historical storyboards, children鈥檚 activities, genealogy workshops and performances inside the Hogan Center 鈥� all aimed at honoring the people whose labor built the plantation and whose resting places were forgotten for generations.
For founding society member Robin Proudie, the work is both personal and urgent. A descendant of several families enslaved at White Marsh, she said descendants must ensure these stories are never erased.
鈥淲e have to make sure that we do not forget about our ancestors 鈥� that we bring their stories out of the darkness into the light,鈥� she said. “Why is it always African American burial grounds that are abandoned, and then we stumble upon them?”
Proudie said the rediscovery of burial grounds across the region underscores the need for accountability and preservation. She called the White Marsh site a reminder that emancipation is both a celebration and a charge to protect hard鈥憌on history.
As the gathered crowd moved between the hillside cemetery and the church grounds, descendants said the goal is simple: to honor those buried without markers and ensure their names 鈥� once nearly lost 鈥� are carried forward.
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