Eastern Shore Network for Change and Maryland 250 Event to Announce Sister Partnership with Liberia
Eastern Shore Network For Change
Historic Announcement: Maryland & Liberia Establish Ties, Honoring Stephen A. Benson Legacies While Building Enduring Diplomatic Bridges
This special Maryland 250 event celebrates deep historical connections—including that of Cambridge native Stephen Allen Benson, who became Liberia's second president—and marks a new chapter in cultural diplomacy, shared heritage, and global bridge-building.
Event Details:
Date and Time: Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 2:00 pm
Location: Waugh United Methodist Church, Cambridge, MD 21613
Click Here for Event Registration: https://www.esnccambridgemd.com/calender
The event, in partnership with the Maryland 250 Commission, will formally announce the establishment of our Sister State/County/City relationship between Maryland (with special emphasis on the City of Cambridge and Dorchester County) and Liberia, realizing the vision and momentum built over years of dedicated negotiations. We will also unveil plans for an upcoming mission trip to Liberia, bringing together politicians, diplomats, community leaders, and other key individuals, with the first mission tentatively scheduled for November 2026.
Cambridge native Stephen Allen Benson (born in Cambridge, MD, in 1816) emigrated to Liberia in 1822 and became its second president.
President William V.S. Tubman's visits to Cambridge in the 1950s.
We honor these profound connections—from Cambridge native Stephen Allen Benson, and President William V.S. Tubman, who visited Cambridge in the 1950s—and will use them to build enduring bridges of diplomacy between our communities and nations.
We selected Waugh United Methodist Church as the venue for this monumental announcement for compelling reasons. The church is celebrating its 200th anniversary and holds deep significance as the site of the oldest African American Methodist congregation in Cambridge, founded by free African Americans in 1826, long before the Civil War.
Its historic role in the Pine Street neighborhood and Dorchester County's African American heritage make it an ideal, symbolic location to honor shared histories and announce this new chapter of cultural diplomacy, aligning with Maryland 250's emphasis on inclusive storytelling and reckoning with our complex past.
About MD TWO FIFTY
MD Two Fifty envisions an inclusive and nonpartisan statewide reflection on our past that honors the contributions of all Marylanders, unites us in purpose to serve, engage civically, and shape the future of our state and nation for the next generation.
ABOUT THE EASTERN SHORE NETWORK FOR CHANGE
Through ESNC's mission, we aim to document President Benson's life and family history, connect relatives across the U.S. and Liberia, share collective histories (including the American Colonization Society's role and Cambridge's civil rights story), create documentaries for archiving in both countries, advocate for landmarks and interpretive signage in Cambridge, and develop educational exchanges and ongoing collaborations.
Dion D Banks
Eastern Shore Network For Change
+1 443-521-4498
dion.ba@gmail.com
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Video shot during our event Reflections On Pine in 2017 - Reclaiming the lost narrative of our Black community during civil unrest in Cambridge, MD
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