Join in a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation at Tolson’s Chapel on Saturday, November 1st, 2014!

The chapel door will open at 1:00 pm for tours and refreshments.

At 2:00 pm, our celebration begins, featuring gospel music, a conversation with emancipated slave Teany Watson (by Washington actress Jayné Price), and thoughts on emancipation by our keynote speaker Dr. Hari Jones from the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum (Washington DC).

The chapel will remain open for tours and refreshments following the celebration until 4:00 pm.

About our featured presenters:

Keynote Speaker Hari Jones

Hari Jones is the curator of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC. He is one of the foremost authorities on the role of African Americans in the Civil War.  Hari presents a refreshingly new perspective on the subject. In his matter-of-fact manner, he reveals just how extensive and well-organized African Americans were in their efforts to end slavery and secure their rights as citizens. Before Hari fully immersed himself in the military history of Americans of African descent, he served in the United States Marine Corps for over twenty years. He retired as a captain in 1997.  Since then he has conducted extensive research on the African American overt and covert military activities throughout American history. Hari was a content developer for the National Park Service (NPS) museum at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama, a content adviser for the American Civil War Center exhibit Take Our Stand and a content adviser for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) exhibit Discovering the Civil War. Television outlets, includingthe History Channel, Public Broadcasting System (PBS) History Detectives, Henry Louis Gates’ series The African American: Many Rivers to Cross and NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? have also sought his expertise. Hari has written five historical works in his series For Light and Liberty. Volume one entitled The Road to Emancipation was published in November 2012.

Jayné LaMondue Price performs as Teany Watson

Jayné LaMondue Price (Teany Watson) first brought Teany to life in the play Antietam Anthologies, written and produced by Mark Brugh. She continues to demonstrate her versatility, skill, and passion for the stage and has performed in the Playmakers 2009-10 season production Heaven Can Wait and was a member of the stage crew for Catch Me If You Can. She holds a BA in Labor Studies (Professional Development) and through her business JLP Enterprises, provides exclusive entertainment promotion and event planning services including artist representation and booking, planning, coordinating and promoting events and entertainment. She spent over 20 years on the West Coast and is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, having received her theatrical training under the direction of writer/director/producer Silvia Cooper Nelson. Her professionalism, voice, and motivating personality are often sought after to serve as Mistress of Ceremony to enhance many events.

For more information, contact: Edie Wallace, Friends of Tolson’s Chapel, tolsons.chapel@gmail.com.