Since the earliest call to arms, African Americans from Kent County, Maryland, have answered. Sumner Hall was built by African American veterans from Kent County, and is a place of remembrance. It is the honor and responsibility of Sumner Hall to identify and recognize these local heroes.
To date, the Sumner Hall Veterans Project has identified almost 1,700 African American men and women from Kent County who have served in the military, beginning in the Revolutionary War until the present day.
We invite the community to contact us with the names of additional veterans so that we can add them to our honor roll. Please see the form below to submit information on local veterans.
Please also click on the button below to visit the honor roll, which consists of a database documenting the military service of African Americans from Kent County.
African American Veterans from Kent County Database
What is the purpose of the Sumner Hall Veterans Project?
The Sumner Hall Veterans Project is a part of the larger Chesapeake Heartland project. Sumner Hall has identified goals to achieve throughout this active project which are:
- To document the history of Kent County African American veterans as fully as possible
- To build relationships with African American veterans in Kent County
- To teach the history of African American veterans by making materials accessible through the Chesapeake Heartland Project
- To provide events and programs to engage veterans and community members
What is Chesapeake Heartland?
Chesapeake Heartland is a collaboration between the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Washington College, and a diverse array of local organizations including Sumner Hall, Kent Cultural Alliance, and Kent County Public Library. Its mission is to preserve, digitize, interpret, and make accessible materials related to African American history and culture in Kent County, Maryland and beyond.
Explore the digital archive: https://archive.chesapeakeheartland.org/index.php/Gallery/52
Learn more about African American Veterans from Kent County: http://sumnerhall.org/kent-county-aa-veterans/
