Community

Susan Jones top honoree at NAACP Voice of Freedom Awards ceremony

CUMBERLAND — Tifani Fisher had tears in her eyes while she described “a little tiny house with a little tiny lady” and the role model who taught her to pursue her dreams despite racial barriers.
Fisher was referring to Susan M. Jones, 80, who received the top honor at the Allegany County NAACP 7007 Annual Voice of Freedom Awards ceremony Saturday night.
The event was held in the multi-purpose building at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

NAACP branch formed in Garrett County

OAKLAND — All of Maryland’s counties are now represented in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

A new branch for Garrett County was approved by the NAACP’s national office after more than 100 local residents signed up to be new members and petitioned for their own branch. This is the newest branch in the Maryland State Conference and the last county in the state to be officially chartered.

SECOND ANNUAL JANE GATES DAY

On Wednesday morning, August 31, 2022 the Second Annual Jane Gates Day event was held at the Jane Gates Heritage House on Greene Street, Cumberland, Maryland. Numerous elected officials and community members attended the occasion which was overseen by Sukh Gates, President of the Jane Gates Heritage House, and John Gates, who serves as Vice-president.

Jane Gates Heritage House

The week of September 3-8, 2019 saw a professional archaeological investigation undertaken on the grounds of the Jane Gates Heritage House on Greene Street in Cumberland, Maryland. This was overseen by consultants brought in from Texas as well as nearby Pennsylvania. Members of the Western Maryland Archaeological Society assisted and as a learning experience members of the general public were also invited to participate. Tours of the home were also given over the week-end.

The following article entitled, "City seeing a rise of black entrepreneurs" was written by Donovan Conaway and appeared in the September 9, 2019 edition of the Cumberland Times-News. A correction the next day noted that the owner of the "All That 2 Go" restaurant should have been identified as Jeney Fulton. The photograph depicted here is of Derik Stephens, the long-time owner and manager of the "N The Cut Barbershop," which is featured in the article.

2018 Annual Martin Luther King Day

Herman (1901-1985) and Kathleen (1909-1997) Washington

Darlene Shelton, AME Women's Missionary Society Honoree.

The following newspaper article appeared in the February 6, 2017 edition of the Cumberland Times-News. Darlene Shelton also appears in other articles on this African-American history website.

FROSTBURG — Darlene Shelton was one of 12 distinguished individuals honored recently at the Washington Conference Branch Women’s Missionary Society African Methodist Episcopal Church’s 17th annual recognition luncheon held at Martin’s Camelot, Upper Marlboro.