Freetown Education Research and Cultural Center

08/10/2026

Congratulations to our community partner, the African American Heritage Society of Snow Hill & Surrounding Areas, on being selected as one of BECF’s August 2026 grant recipients! 🎉

We are proud to work alongside the Heritage Society in preserving and sharing the African American history and culture of Snow Hill and lower Worcester County.

Investments like this help strengthen the organizations doing this work at the grassroots level and ensure that our community’s stories, places, and heritage continue to be shared with future generations.

Congratulations on this well-deserved award! ❤️

08/07/2026

We’re grateful to Maryland Humanities for supporting the Freetown Education, Research and Cultural Center of Snow Hill through a SHINE Grant.

This funding has allowed us to strengthen our work in preserving and sharing local African American history. Because of this support, we’ve been able to:

• Participate in community events that connect students and families with local history.
• Attend the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Lower Shore Nonprofit Summit to build new partnerships and strengthen our organization.
• Improve access to the historic Coolspring Cemetery by removing overgrown trees and vegetation, making the grounds safer and easier to navigate.
• Host our “Tracing Our Roots” genealogy workshop during Black History Month, helping community members begin or continue their family history journey.

Every step brings us closer to preserving the stories, places, and people that shaped our community. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this work.

08/05/2026

What an honor to meet Mom Elsie and learn about her precious memories like seeing her at Church. Always with a warm smile and genuinely happy. May she rest on in the arms of the Lord ❤️

06/03/2026

📚 Faces of Our Community: Ms. Ruby & Mr. Elwood Waters

Some people teach from the front of a classroom. Others help guide children safely on their journey each day. Together, Ms. Ruby and Mr. Elwood Waters did both.

Born in Snow Hill in 1911, Ms. Ruby Waters dedicated her life to education. After attending local schools and continuing her studies, she returned home to teach generations of children in Worcester County. In a 2005 oral history interview, she shared memories of attending and teaching in one-room schools, traveling by horse and buggy, and watching her community change over the decades.

Alongside her was Mr. Elwood Waters, a well-known school bus driver whose familiar face greeted countless students over the years. For many local families, Mr. Elwood was a trusted part of the school day, helping children get safely to and from school.

Together, they represent a generation whose commitment to service helped shape our community. Whether in the classroom or behind the wheel of a school bus, their impact reached far beyond a job title.

As we prepare for this year’s Juneteenth Freedom Walk, we are honored to remember educators and community leaders like Ms. Ruby and Mr. Elwood Waters, whose legacy continues to inspire us today.

Do you have memories of Ms. Ruby or Mr. Elwood? We’d love to hear them in the comments. ❤️

📖 Source: Oral history interview with Ms. Ruby Waters, conducted March 18, 2005 through Salisbury University’s Enduring Connections Project.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is a time to pause, reflect, and remember.

Behind every name is a story.
A family.
A legacy.
A sacrifice that will never be forgotten.

Today, we honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.

If you have a loved one you’d like to honor this Memorial Day, please share their name and photo in the comments so our community may remember and honor them together.

❤️🤍💙

05/02/2026

In collaboration 🌱

Let us know if you’re coming so we can plan how much food and supplies we need

04/30/2026

Last Friday we had the opportunity to attend the Lower Shore Nonprofit Summit hosted by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

We took notes on funding larger projects like our future museum, how to use AI while keeping privacy and security in mind, and what it really looks like to ask for more. Especially when the work matters.

It was also good to connect with other organizations across the Shore and see what growth can look like over time.

We’re taking what we learned and thinking through how it applies here at home in Snow Hill.

As we prepare for this year’s Juneteenth Freedom Walk & Celebration, we’re thinking about how to build something that lasts.

Back to work.

04/12/2026

✨ It was a great night connecting with our community!

The African American Heritage Society of Snow Hill and Surrounding Areas was honored to participate in Snow Hill Middle School’s Family Showcase Night. Students and families stopped by our table to explore local history, ask questions, and learn more about the stories that shaped our area.

Seeing young people curious about the past is always inspiring. Thank you to Snow Hill Middle School and everyone who took the time to visit with us.

📚 Preserving our history, together.