African Americans History

Ken Barnes, 1954 -

In 2009 Kenneth Barnes was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cumberland's Riverside YMCA. In the 125 year history of the Cumberland YMCA, Ken Barnes is the first African-American to be selected for the local YMCA's top leadership position.

Standing on hallowed ground
Originally published November 17, 2007

By Nicholas C. Stern
News-Post Staff

BUCKEYSTOWN -- Looking out this week at the barns that dot the rolling landscape in southern Frederick County, Mary Harris narrated a story about freed black slaves.

After emancipation in the 1860s, freed slaves began taking up residence in the shacks where they had dried tobacco, Harris said.

Take a self-guided journey through local African-American history

Originally published January 23, 2002

By Karen Gardner

African-American history in Frederick County runs almost as deep as that of European settlers, but until recently it's a history that has largely been ignored.

The Frederick Historic Sites Consortium has just published "African-American Heritage Sites in the City of Frederick and Frederick County, Md.," a brochure with a list of 20 sites that commemorate the contributions of blacks in the past two centuries.

RESIDENTS of the Frostburg area gather for a celebration. From left are Mike Bush, Elizabeth Bush, Josie Harper, Robert Harper and Lucius Harper. According to the latest census, there are 101 blacks living in Frostburg, not counting students at FSU.

Norma Blacke Bourdeau (1940-2010) received the Freedom Fighters Award during the 67th annual Maryland State NAACP Conference held recently in Ocean City. The award was presented in recognition of Bourdeau's service as president of the Allegany County Chapter NAACP. Attending the presentation were, from left, Sen. Verna Jones, Bourdeau, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Maryland Jenkins Odoms Jr., president of the Maryland State NAACP. The theme of the conference was "Power Beyond Measure."

Wormack Candidate For Council

Cumberland, Maryland, Tuesday, April 9, 1974

John W. Wormack Sr., 413 Central Avenue, a retired B&O Railroad employee, announced yesterday that he will file for City Council in the May 7 primary election.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Wormack had attained the position of stationary engineer-in-charge of the B&O's power plant.

Phyllis Virginia Williams, 1919 - 1994

Phyllis Virginia Williams was born on May 24, 1919 in Cumberland, Maryland. She was the daughter of the late William Harris and Dora Massy Harris-Allen.

Virginia was a 1936 graduate of Carver School. At an early age, she moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she met and married George D. Williams, Sr. Virginia worked as many females did in one of the many Detroit factories as the men fought in the war.

Coverage lacked photo of African-American speaker August 11, 2004

By Shirley Wormack, Cumberland

Last month, on "Page Two" I saw articles regarding the Democratic Convention. Each headline told who gave "the" speech, and there was a picture of them, except for Wednesday, July 28. The headline read, "Democrats hear success story." It was about (African-American Illinois senatorial candidate) Barack Obama, but the picture was of John Kerry.

Civil Rights Rally, 1968 - Allegany County Courthouse

"Native Sons of Liberty"

By Henry Louis Gates Jr., Op-Ed Contributor,
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
August 6, 2006

On June 11, 1823, a man named John Redman walked into the courtroom of Judge Charles Lobb in Hardy County, Virginia, to apply for a pension, claiming to be a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Redman, more than 60 years old, testified that he had been in the First Virginia Regiment of Light Dragoons from Christmas 1778 through 1782, serving initially as a waiter to Lt. Vincent Howell.