On January 23, 2020, Historic Sotterley received the Excellence in Public Programming Award by The Maryland Historical Trust. MHT recognized Sotterley’s 2019 UNESCO Designation Ceremony & Building Bridges to Common Ground Program.
“This award recognizes significant achievements in the development and execution of programs and projects that engage members of the public with historic preservation and/or archaeology in meaningful, dynamic and innovative ways,” according to MHT.
In 2010, Sotterley was reinterpreted to tell the intertwining stories of those who came before us. The Common Ground Initiative is providing our extended community with programming emphasizing learning and healing, critical research and a holistic approach to reconciling the wounds of history.
Sotterley also established programming in 2018 around the Common Ground Initiative which included topics such as Interpreting Difficult History, Power in the Name discussing African naming practices and Descendant Panel Discussions where descendants of owners and enslaved came together to discuss their stories, challenges and Historic Preservation.
In August 2019, Sotterley brought together over 250 descendants, historians, genealogists and community activists from as far away as California to designate Sotterley as a UNESCO Slave Route Site of Memory.
In 2020, Sotterley will continue the Building Bridges and UNESCO Programming with a three day program taking place from August 20 through August 23.
