Maryland African American Pride Magazine

From the January - February 2007 Issue
Black History Special - Modern History Makers

One of the tragedies resulting from integration and the assimilation of African Americans in the total society is the loss of recognition of Black achievement and lack of teaching of Black history. The Maryland African American Pride Magazine strives to improve the awareness of Black achievement on The Shore.

Each year we publish a Black History Special in the January/February issue chosen because February is Black History Month. This Year's Black History Special Issue profiles some of the history-making African Americans on The Shore whose achievements have occurred during the last 50 years.

Maulana Karenga

Born Ronald Everett and raised in Parsonsburg, MD, Dr. Karenga has become an internationally recognized authority on Black History. He is credited with creating Kwanzaa and popularizing the celebration of the non-religious cultural holiday.

Rudolph C. Cane

Rudolph C. Cane of Hebron is the Eastern Shore's first Black representative to the MD State House of delegates. He was elected to represent District 37A in 1998 and reelected in the elections last fall. He was the first to represent the majority - Black District 1 on the Wicomico County Council in 1990 and the second to serve on the Council.

A native of Somerset County, Cane earned his B.S. Degree from Coppin State College. After a tour in the US Army, he studied at UMES. He is retired from the Maryland State Highway Department and has served as Chairman of the of Directors at SHORE UP!, Inc.

Norma Lee Barkley

The first African American elected judge on The Shore, The Honorable Norma Lee Barkley is Senior Judge of the Wicom-ico County Orphan's Court in her 7th four-year term. She is also past State Grand Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, past State Loyal Lady Ruler of the Order of the Golden Circle, and member of the Daughters of Isis PHA; founding member of the Tri-County Organizations Coalition, Inc. and its Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet Program Chairperson.

Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington

The first African American Public School Superintendent since integra-tion, Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington is the former Superintendent of the Somerset County Board of Education.

Gerald V. Purnell

The Honorable Gerald Vaughn Purnell, District Court Judge for the second district in Worcester County, is the first African American district court judge on The Shore. He was appointed by Gov. Ehrlich November 21, 2005.

A Berlin, MD native, Purnell graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in 1978, and a M.S. (education) in 1979. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Antioch School of Law in 1982. Purnell was a sole practitioner for 13 years and was Deputy State's Attorney in Dorchester County from 2003 through 2005.

Dr. Earl S. Richardson

Somerset County native Dr. Earl Stan-ford Richardson has been the 11th President of Morgan State University in Baltimore since 1984. He still maintains a home in Salisbury and plans to return here to live when he retires.

Dr. Richardson earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in social science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the Masters of Science and the Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a Fellow of the Ford Foundation and the Kellogg Foundation. Before becom-ing President of Morgan State University on November 1, 1984, Dr. Richardson served in a number of Administrative positions at UMES. He left UMES to become Assistant to the President of the University of Maryland System, then Executive Assistant to the Chancellor.

William Roberts

William R. Roberts is the president of Verizon Maryland. One of the largest businesses in the State. Born and raised in Unionville, MD outside of Easton, he graduated from Morgan State U. and began work at C&P Telephone in 1980. He worked his way through the ranks to president of the company, which had been acquired by Verizon. He was named president in 2000. Among the many community activities that Roberts is involved with is being a member of the Board of Regents of Morgan State U.

William L. Jews

Cambridge native William L. Jews is the President and CEO of CareFirst of Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The leading health care company in the Mid-Atlantic region, Care First boasts revenues of over $4 billion a year. He was named president and CEO in 1993.

Jews earned his bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins U. and a master's in health administration from Morgan State U., who awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in 1999.

Sheila R. Cherry

The first African Ameri-can to serve as president of the prestigious National Press Club is Berlin, MD native Sheila R. Cherry. She was installed as the 97th president in December 2003. A Uni-versity of Mar-yland College Park graduate, Cherry worked in the legal writing field for almost ten years and developed an interest in freelance writing. She was a freelance writer for ten years and joined the Press Club in 1994. She has a Master's of Fine Arts Degree in writing from Johns Hopkins U. now and continues to freelance with magazines and newspapers.

Ernest J. Leatherbury, Sr.

Somerset County native Ernest J. Leatherbury, Sr. made state history when he was promoted to Lt. Col. and the third in command of the Maryland State Police, the highest rank ever achieved by an African American. A UMES graduate, he paved the way for African Americans in the State PD and helped to recruit others, including his son, Ernie, Jr.

After his retirement, Leatherbury accepted the post of Police Chief for Crisfield, MD where he served until he passed in 2003. Salisbury native Edwin Lashley followed in Leather-bury's footsteps by being promoted to the same post before he retired from the State Police.

Orlando Blake

Retired Snow Hill Police Chief Orlando Blake was the first Black Police chief in Eastern Shore history. He retired in 1997 after 19 years as the town's police chief. Born in Salisbury, Blake grew up in Pocomoke City, MD. He graduated from Worcester County public schools and the MD State Police Academy.

He served on the Snow Hill Police Department 26 years. Since he became police chief, Clarence Bell was to become police chief in Crisfield, Walter Chase became chief in Easton, and Arnold Downing is still police chief in Berlin.

Victoria Goldsborough

Victoria Goldsborough became The Shore's first Blfemale mayor in 2003 when she was re-elected to the Denton, MD town council and became the senior member of the council. She had served on the council since 1999. She continued to serve on the council after her brief term as mayor until 2005 when she was appointed to a five-year term on the Caroline County Board of Education by MD Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

A homemaker and com-munity activist, Goldsborough is a member of several organ-izations and serves on the Maryland Commission for Women.

Aaron Deal

Salisbury native Aaron Deal made history becoming the Maryland Teacher of the Year in 2003. A computer science teacher at Salisbury Middle School, he was the first teacher from Wicomico County to win the State Teacher of the Year in ten years. To qualify to compete for the State honor he was selected from a field of 30 semifinalists selected from 138 nominees to be named Teacher of the Year for the County. He is a graduate of Salisbury University

There are many other Black history makers. We will continue to profile them.