Reynauld Smith, an Olney resident and board member of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum, shares the experiences of his ancestors’ emancipation from slavery on June 19, 1865, on the latest episode of Montgomery County’s “What’s Happening MoCo” podcast. The date is now known nationally as “Juneteenth.”
In the podcast, Smith offers a unique view of the 155-year-old holiday. He talks about how a slave owner tearfully read Lincoln’s Executive Order No. 3 and describes the first celebrations of Juneteenth in Texas.
In recognition of Juneteenth and as part of its official reopening, the Sandy Spring Slave Museum will offer free tours on Saturday, June 19, from noon-6 p.m. The tours will include lectures on Juneteenth and there will be special presentations from the African, Latino and Caribbean communities. Smith said there will be opportunities for all residents to enjoy themselves—and learn about history.
“We are going to have music. We’re going to have vendors. We’re going to have food. And it’s just going to be a lot of fun,” said Smith.
The new episode is now available. The on-demand video of the newest episode can be viewed via the What’s Happening MoCo Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhatsHappeningMoCoPodcast. The podcast also can be heard via several popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts at https://bit.ly/whats-happening-moco, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and others.
The Sandy Spring Slave Museum is located at 18524 Brooke Rd in Sandy Spring. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 301-774-4066 or visit https://www.sandyspringslavemuseum.org.
In past episodes, podcast host Derrick Kenny has talked with guests on a wide variety of subjects. The show’s guests have included elected officials, Montgomery employees who specialize in specific aspects of government, business leaders and entertainers who live in the County. New podcasts are released twice a month.
Residents and others interested in asking a question or suggesting a topic to be addressed in a future episode are encouraged to engage via the Facebook page or via e-mail at derrick.kenny@montgomerycountymd.gov.
What’s Happening MoCo podcast episode archives can be accessed by visiting the podcast’s webpage at https://montgomerycountymd.gov/CCM/whats-happening-moco-podcast.html.
