Celebrating Legacy Day in Kent County; Responses to Lt. Governor Rutherford's Midday Comments

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of traveling to Chestertown for a live broadcast of our show from historic Sumner Hall, a building that was for many generations central to the lives of African Americans on the Eastern Shore. One of our guests that afternoon was a community activist and former member of the Kent County Historical Society, Airlee Ringgold Johnson. She told us a little about Legacy Day, an annual celebration of African American history on the Eastern Shore that takes place in Chestertown on Saturday. This is the fifth Legacy Day celebration in Chestertown. Every year, there’s a different theme. This year, Legacy Day will examine the desegregation of Chestertown public schools. She joins us today from Washington College in Chestertown.Bill Leary joins us as well. He is a historian who offered the first course in African American history at the University of Virginia in the late 1960s. He also worked at the National Archives and on the staff of the National Security Council. He’s also on the line from Washington College.And with Tom in Studio A, Vanessa Issacs Ringgold. A native of Chestertown, she currently lives in Owings Mills. She was among a group of five students who integrated Chestertown High School in the 1960s. ------In Tom's conversation with Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford on Tuesday's Midday, the Lt. Governor mentioned two public officials: Baltimore City Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen and Baltimore City Councilman Ryan Dorsey. Following the interview, both Dr. Wen and Mr. Dorsey contacted Tom to take issue with the Lt. Governor’s assertions on two issues.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.