Roots and reunions: family reunions Maryland Style - suggestions for African American family celebrations of kinship and lineage - Maryland's African American Culture: A Guide to Maryland's African American Attractions and Events

American Visions, April-May, 1994 by Luwanda Jenkins

In 1767, Alex Haley's ancestor, Kunta Kinte, was abducted from Africa and transported to Maryland, where he stepped ashore in chains at Annapolis harbor. More than two centuries later, the 1977 television portrayal of Roots, the Haley family saga, sparked a renewed sense of African-American community, kinship and lineage. This strengthened sense of belonging, of connection, often expresses itself through joyful family reunions--a time-honored American tradition that has again become a valued experience for those wishing to celebrate a heritage of kinship while still focusing on the future.

Today's Maryland is the ideal place for African-American families to hold a memorably bountiful reunion. Maryland boasts a wealth of powerful black heritage attractions, black-owned farms that host gatherings, sandy ocean beaches, tree-covered mountains, lakes, streams and rivers, sophisticated cities, outstanding indigenous cuisine and magnificent museums, all within a few hours' drive of each other. Situated midway between the Deep South--our ancestral homeland in the United States--and the large metropolitan cities of the North, Maryland offers more than just a convenient halfway point for a family scattered since Emancipation.

Top 10 Activities for Your Maryland-Style Family Reunion

1. A Traditional Crab Feast. This is not your everyday picnic. Maryland is known worldwide for its Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab, a seasonal culinary staple and a prime attraction at picnics and cookouts. Make this shell-cracking tradition a featured part of your reunion outing.

2. Cruise the Chesapeake. Step aboard one of Maryland's fine sailing ships, which depart from Baltimore, Annapolis and several points on the Eastern Shore. You can go formal or casual, in large groups or small. Dining and dancing, sightseeing and sailing are just a few of the nautical possibilities for fun on the Chesapeake.

3. Black Heritage Tours. From the monument in Historic St. Mary's honoring America's first black member of a Colonial assembly to a historical memorial in Annapolis marking the spot where Kunta Kinte first stepped ashore in chains to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore, there is a wealth of African-American heritage to be explored in Maryland.

4. Antique and Afrocentric Shopping. Bargains new and old can be found in Maryland's retail stores, outlet malls and antique shopping towns, the last of which offer the opportunity to stroll around some of the finest extant Federal-era architecture in America.

5. A Day at the Races. Pimlico Race Course, home of thoroughbred racing's Preakness Stakes, offers group seating, private rooms, on-site catering and other conveniences for your family's encounters with Lady Luck.

6. Take Me Out to the Ball Game. An evening game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards is major-league in every respect. Baltimore's beautiful state-of-the-art ballpark offers the whole family a safe and spectacular atmosphere in which to enjoy major-league baseball--and each other.

7. Beaches and Lakes. Ocean City and Deep Creek Lake anchor the state's eastern and western borders, respectively, and provide some of the best family-style fun in Maryland. Water skiing, swimming, boating and walking along Ocean City's boardwalk are just a few of the activities that add to the excitement of your reunion gathering.

8. Lift Off and Splash Down. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center features many exciting exhibits--including rocket launches! Moreover, first-time visitors to the Maryland-Washington, D.C., region will enjoy the side trip to the nation's capital. After a day of touring NASA and D.C., kids and adults alike can cool down at nearby Adventure World water amusement park.

9. Unique Nature Tours. Both lovers of the outdoors and devout urbanites will enjoy the chance to experience one of Maryland's many nature preserves. From the cypress swamps of southern Maryland to the wildlife wetlands of the Eastern Shore, endless miles of nature trails and viewing opportunities await.

10. Fairs, Festivals and Events. Year-round, Maryland hosts a wide array of wonderful celebrations, each highlighting local traditions, cuisine, culture and favorite pastimes. No matter the month, your Maryland reunion will benefit from a nearby event that is sure to please the palates, the eyes or the minds of your family.

If the prospect of a family reunion in Maryland appeals, the following suggestions will help ensure its success.

Family Reunion Planning Tips

* Organize a planning committee to contribute ideas, share the workload and help execute reunion activities. Be sure to represent each age group and family branch, so that input is inclusive and activities are planned with everyone's interests in mind.

* Start early! A minimum of 6 to 12 months' lead time is needed to prepare for a reunion, Compile a mailing list of family names, addresses and phone numbers, and send out an initial notice alert- ing family members of the date and location of the upcoming reunion.

* Select hotel accommodations that are close to planned activities, such as picnics, sightseeing tours and sports events. Also plan on chartering buses to move your group from the reunion location to the group's activities.