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Introducing The 1856 Project Podcast

A sepia tone photo with two horses or mules pulling a plow guided by a worker in a brimmed hat
University of Maryland. Horticulture Department. 1912. College Park, MD. William Amoss photographs collection. Special Collection and University Archives.

"The 1856 Project Podcast: Towards Marronage and a Liberated Future" is now available! This series from UMD's chapter of Universities Studying Slavery explores the involvement of the Maryland Agricultural College (MAC), now known as the University of Maryland, in the enslavement of Africans and how this history intersects with our present.

The first few episodes detail the launch of The 1856 Project, the lasting impacts of urban renewal on Lakeland, a historically Black area surrounding College Park with deeply rooted ties to some of the earliest indications of Black labor at the university, and an interview with the author of "Smashing Statues." These interviews are just the beginning of a series of discussions that will ignite conversation, reflection, intellectual curiosity, and understanding. Listen to The 1856 Project Podcast: Towards Marronage and a Liberated Future on SoundCloud.

The 1856 Project podcast team includes producer Manuel Mendez, co-producer Alona Norwood, host Lae’l Hughes-Watkins, and additional collaborators Eleena Ghosh and Maureen Jones.