Current Projects

Eroding Gods: Shifts in AfroChesapeake Place-Based Spirituality Due to Climate Change

In the evolving discourse around climate change, the focus has predominantly been on its environmental, economic, and geopolitical impacts. However, one critical dimension often overlooked is the cultural and spiritual crisis it generates, particularly for communities whose traditions are deeply tied to land. During this project, I will examine the intersections of climate change, ecological disruption, and place-based spirituality within AfroChesapeake folk belief, focusing on the lived experiences of African Americans living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Role: Principal Investigator

Program: THE CROSSROADS PROJECT Black Religious Histories, Communities, and Cultures

Institution: Princeton University

African Ancestral Human Remains Project — Charles County (Chapel Point)

This project centers on the African ancestral individuals recovered from the Chapel Point area of Charles County, a landscape shaped by early African American presence, colonial systems, and complex patterns of community formation. My work here integrates archival research, land-history reconstruction, and heritage-based analysis with bioarchaeological and archaeological data generated by project partners.

Through probate records, land patents, estate inventories, parish files, and environmental histories, I map kinship networks, property regimes, and cultural geographies that can help reestablish narrative continuity for these ancestors. Descendant engagement and the inclusion of oral histories are central to informing this research in culturally informed interpretation, ensuring that their lives are not approached as anonymous remains, as they are/were persons embedded within broad social, cultural, and environmental systems.

The goal of this work is to restore visibility, dignity, and context to ancestors whose stories were historically cloaked. By synthesizing archival, archaeological, and anthropological evidence, the project supports potential descendant identification, informs ethical recommendations for reburial, and contributes to a more equitable interpretation of African American heritage in Maryland. This research aims to document the past and support responsible heritage stewardship, centering community collaboration, historically grounded analysis, and interdisciplinary rigor to better understand the lived worlds and enduring legacies of the Chapel Point individuals.

Role: Historian

Program: African Ancestral Human Remains Project (AAHRP)

Institution(s):

• Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

• Maryland Historical Trust

• Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

• Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture

To Haunt With, Not Study: “Big Lizz” and the Ethics of Black EcoFeminist Invocation

In regional folklore, the figure of Big Lizz is framed as a haunting tied to a bridge and a swamp. What often goes unexamined is the cultural, ecological, and spiritual world that makes her presence possible. This project studies that world. Through fieldwork, ritual work, and ecological study, I trace how her presence lives in water, soil, and plant life.

Rather than resolve her legend, I use it to study how a landscape remembers and how a haunting can shape method. This approach treats Big Lizz as a guide into the deeper relationship between story, place, and the afterlives of violence on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Role: Project Lead

Program: Afro-Chesapeake Fieldwork

Institution: Non Affiliated / Independent

Chancellor’s Point Working Group

The Chancellor’s Point Working Group is an ancestral steward–led collaborative body affiliated with Historic St. Mary’s City Museum that supports ongoing research, stewardship, and interpretation at Chancellor’s Point. Centering the leadership and perspectives of descendant and community stewards, it brings together representatives from local and academic stakeholders, including members of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions, the St. Mary’s County NAACP, the St. Mary’s County Museum Division, and the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission.

The group also works with forensic anthropologists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History on archaeological work. CPWG works in collaboration with museum staff, archaeologists, bioarchaeologists, and academic research partners to guide archaeological and bioarchaeological investigations. This includes providing oversight and guidance for work involving human remains, particularly those associated with early African American burial sites, to ensure ethical practice, cultural care, and respectful treatment.

Through collaboration, ethics planning and dialogue, the working group supports responsible decision-making and inclusive public interpretation that honors the people and histories connected to this landscape.

Role: Advisory Board Member

Program: Chancellor’s Point Working Group

Institution; Historic St. Mary’s City

Upcoming Events

Sacred Ground, Shared Hands: Volunteer Power and the Preservation of Maryland’s Black Cemeteries

Join the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum virtually on Thursday, January 15, 2026 for

"Sacred Ground, Shared Hands: Volunteer Power and the Preservation of Maryland's Black Cemeteries," a deep dive into how volunteers are preserving Maryland's historic Black cemeteries. Learn the impact, the best practices, and be inspired by success stories.

Moderated by MCAAHC's Research Specialist, Alexandria Anderson, this program is more than a discussion; it is a call to action. As we celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, you will learn how you can contribute to this vital work, honoring the legacy of Dr. King by serving your community and helping to preserve the sacred ground that holds the stories of our nation's past. Together, we can keep the memory alive.

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm

http://bit.ly/SacredGroundSharedHands

Role: Invited Speaker

Institution: Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

Freedom & RESISTANCE: an exhibition inspired by the The 1619 Project

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, the DC Public Library presents Freedom and Resistance: An Exhibition Inspired by The 1619 Project. The exhibition features three sections, created in collaboration with the editors of The New York Times Magazine and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and educators from The Pulitzer Center. Throughout, visitors can explore connections between the experiences of Black Americans and the ideals of American freedom.

Section 2: Echoes of 1619: Freedom and Resistance in Washington, D.C.
 This section of the exhibition—guest curated by Dominique Hazzard and designed by Art Dept.—traces the deep local connections between the first enslaved Africans brought to Point Comfort in 1619 and the lives of Washingtonians today. As Hannah-Jones writes in The 1619 Project, “Black Americans have also been, and continue to be, foundational to the idea of American freedom.”

This exhibition section explores three themes that illuminate that truth through a D.C. lens.

"Origins" considers our region’s proximity to the site where enslaved people were first brought to this country, and the foundational experiences of people enslaved in Maryland and the early capital.
"Resistance" examines the enduring struggle for political power and the city’s unique legacy of disenfranchisement.
"Freedom" highlights Washington as a crucial hub for free Black communities and a first refuge in the North.

Featuring works from Hess, Je’Kendria, Jess, and Ori; and words from Toya R. Smith, Victoria Williams, Aisha T. Snead, Cherelle Robertson of the Chesapeake Conjure Society

This exhibition runs Jan. 16 - Mar., 15 with a public reception on Fri., Jan. 16

Role: Contributing Artist

Program: Dr. Dominique Hazzard curation, Freedom and Resistance in Washington, D.C.

Institution(s):

DC Public Library

DC Public Library Foundation

The 1619 Project

Pulitzer Center

Genuine, Art Exhibition

Curated by Asha Elana Casey in honor of Black History Month, Genuine celebrates the depth, resilience, and authenticity of Black artistic expression. Featuring works by Lionel Frazier White III, Khaleelah Harris, Jessica Valoris, and Desmond Beach, this exhibition explores themes of identity, heritage, and truth through a range of materials and perspectives. Genuine highlights the power of storytelling and cultural reflection, offering a compelling tribute to the legacy and future of Black artistry.

This exhibition runs Jan. 20–Mar. 14, with a public reception on Sat., Jan. 24 and an artist and curator talk on Sat., Feb. 21. *

Role: Contributing Artist

Program: Asha Elana Casey curation for Black History Month

Institution: Brentwood Arts Exchange, Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation, The Maryland-National Capital Park And Planning Commission

Recent Events

Hoodoo Healing, Sinners, and African American Traditions of Care

Please join the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies on Friday, Nov 14th for a talk with Hess Love entitled, “Hoodoo Healing, Sinners, and African American Traditions of Care.” Hess Love is an expert in Hoodoo, an African American spiritual tradition of healing and memory. They will be speaking about their own archeological practices and cemetery work with the recovery and care of African American remains, and the recent portrayal of Hoodoo in the film Sinners. Hess will guide our understanding of what has been portrayed in the media and the reality and importance of the tradition today.

Dr. Patrick Bellegarde-Smith (AADS Professor Emeritus) will serve as talkback facilitator and discuss the differences and similarities between African American Hoodoo and Haitian Vodou.

Friday, Nov 14, 1:30-3pm (Lubar S151)

Co-sponsored by the UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, UWM Division of Community Empowerment & Institutional Inclusivity, Center for 21st Century Studies, Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, Latin American, Caribbean and US Latinx Studies, Black Student Cultural Center, and Sociocultural Programming

Role: Keynote Speaker

Institution: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee