“Anchors of Endurance” Dedication Ceremony: Honoring the Brownsville/Park Ave Community

FrostburgFirst and collaborative partners at The Brownsville Project welcomed the public to attend the dedication of the “Anchors of Endurance” sculpture honoring the displaced Brownsville/Park Ave Community and celebrating its impact on Frostburg’s cultural history and development. The dedication included a ribbon-cutting, remarks from Brownsville/Park Avenue Community descendants, Clory Jackson of The Brownsville Project, and comments from the representatives of FrostburgFirst.
Anchors of Endurance: A Cartographic Tribute to Brownsville and the Park Ave Community” is a vibrant rendering of the original Brownsville community starting in 1866 and its shifting geographic boundary as residents were displaced over several generations. This public art project reckons with the history of Brownsville, a thriving African American community that was displaced as a result of the expansion of Frostburg State University and land purchases by the State of Maryland. It is our sincere hope that this project can be a springboard for further actions and enhance the discourse on the history of Brownsville and the present-day repercussions while celebrating the unique narrative of those who were part of the community.