Discovering Waterman stories on Chesapeake – Afro American Nexpaper

By Megan Sales
AFRO WRITER OF PERSONS
[email protected]

The late Vincent Leget, called Chesapik Admiral by former Governor of Maryland Paris, N. Glendening in 2003, dedicated his life to preserving and enhancing the stories of free and enslaved African -American people who are the backbone of Maryland’s marine and marine industry. Its organization “Blacks from Chesapeake” documented the impact and contribution of black sailors, Oystermen, Crabbers, Longshoreman, Sailmakers, Boat Builders and others since 1984.

In 2023, LEGET and other Merlanders dedicated to the continuation of the legacy of these unwavering paths, became subjects of Alexis Aggi’s documentary film, “The Water Edge: The Black Voers of Chesapik.” On February 1, the African-American History Museum F. Lewis and the Institute of Maritime and Ecological Technology (IMET) held a discussion about the screening and a panel for the film, inviting the public to learn more about these unspoken stories.

“I want to be clear, not only we were pioneers in the launch of boats and picking houses – we were leaders. We were the owners in these areas – we own boats, construction boats, making sails, owning housekeeping houses and the like, “says Drew Hawkins, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Museum of Reinald F. Lewis. “We have made terms that are used popularly used today when talking about crab meat. Our impact was really far and wide. ”

Some of the pioneers covered by the film included Captain George Brown, Talner’s Talbot County and Down Curtis. Under the segregation of Jim Crowe America, Brown has accumulated enough capital to acquire a steamer, the “star light” and the beach he called Brown Grove. In 1914, he began transporting African-American families to the beach of Anne Arundel County for one-day trips at a time when they were not welcome to the popular beaches, such as Tolchester Beach’s amusement park.

The Turner family, legends of seafood from Bellevue, Md., Were owners of real estate, crab and oyster traders and boat builders. They managed two remarkable seafood processing houses, Wa Turner and Sons and Bellevue Seafood Company, from the middle to the late 1900s. The success of businesses, which hired many of the city’s residents, made the black community a predominantly self -sufficient community.

Curtis, from Oxford, MD, and his brother Albert learned on a canvas from the Englishman Dave Petchet. After the death of Pritchet in 1936, the brothers continued their work, governing an attic. The Coarsis became known for their voyage, cutting them for remarkable figures such as the Kennedy family and actor Jackie Glison.

Today, the war, such as Captain Tyren Meredith, have made a career from the management of charter boats for people who are interested in fishing. Fifth -generation fisherman operates the longest head in the Kent Narrows fishing fleet, The Queen of the Island.

The screening of “Waters Edge: Black Waterman of the Chesapeake” was held in memory of a Legt, who died in 2024 at the age of 71. A native of Baltimore, Leget has written two books to expose readers of Afro -American contribution to seafood and marine industries, “The Blacks of Chesapike: an integral part of sea history” and “Chesapiq’s Bay through EBONY EYES”.

One of his biggest achievements was the 17-year campaign to preserve the last five acres of once 180 acre beach Electonia, Anaapolis property purchased by the former enslaved man Frederick Carr in 1902. The place became a flourishing resort for the black beaches. Leget made an effort to save the beach from development and instead turned into a public park.

“Vince would be above the moon,” says his wife, Alden Leget at the screening. Vincent Leget died on November 23, 2024. “This is what he loved. He loved history. He loved black history. ”

Dee Dee Strum, the temporary CEO of Blacks of the Chesapeake, described Leggtt as a humanitarian and border crossing.

“He believed that the history of Afro -American as the main participants in the creation of Maryland as a global power plant for sailing, the industry of seafood and the marine industry should be told. All this is initially nourished by enslaved Africans, who were actually brought here with written orders, “Strum said. “They wanted persons from African tribes brought here in this region who had experience in the work of waterways in Africa.”

Given the unusual health of Chesapike Bay today, Strum said that the main priority of the organization this year pushes the ecological justice, the bigger umbrella of Leget’s work. She wants to ensure that there is a pipeline for colorful young people to become environmentalists and restore the bay.

This is even more critical, since the historical refusal of access to public pools and beaches for Afro -Americans has immortalized a stereotype that black people do not like water, according to Strum.

“We have to make a way to feel welcome on the waterways,” Strum said, “This is their bay. This is our bay. This is everyone’s bay. “