Black History and the Bay

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Earl White, educator and third-generation waterman, shares his knowledge and love for the Bay with students on a CBF field experience.

CBF Staff

We celebrate the groundbreaking Black changemakers here in the Bay watershed who have been pushing conservation forward for centuries. Here are just a few of their stories.

  • Student's Stream Dream Salutes Enslaved Kitty Payne

    April 12, 2023

    Student Aidan Kissner has succeeded in getting the little stream behind his house, which carries many personal memories, named "Kitty Payne Creek" so that it can get the respect, attention, and protection it deserves.

  • A Family's Legacy Along the Yeocomico

    February 23, 2023

    There is a special part of the world at the edge of the Yeocomico River in Virginia’s Northern Neck. For 146 years, the Wilson Family has called this land and water home.

  • Breaking Through Concrete Ceilings

    February 17, 2023

    Dr. Mamie Parker has spent her life making history as a Black, female conservationist, paving the way for young Black women who want to pursue a career in the environmental world.

  • The Deep Roots of Regenerative Agriculture

    February 14, 2023

    Tens of thousands of years ago, farmers of color around the world pioneered ways of working the land that are critical for restoring ecological balance, clean water, and community today.

  • A Fight for History in Hobson

    December 21, 2022

    Waterwoman and activist Mary Hill is fighting to restore her community’s rights and way of life in Hobson, Virginia.

  • A Bay Without Borders

    November 1, 2022

    Aquaculturist and activist Imani Black is changing the status quo in the oyster world.

  • The Untold Story of One of The Most Successful Oystermen in Hampton

    October 13, 2022

    John Mallory Phillips—a successful waterman and businessman in the Hampton, Virginia, area at the turn of the last century—made leaps in the Black community at a time that lacked support or recognition for people of color.

  • Four Faces of the Oyster Industry

    June 16, 2022

    From oyster farmers to oyster shuckers, we asked four different key figures in the industry about their journeys toward saving the Chesapeake Bay's beloved bivalve.

  • Trees Help Beat City Heat

    November 8, 2021

    Mira Lloyd Dock Award recipient Kiasha Huling plants trees to cool the 'heat island' effect in Philadelphia.

  • Taking a Dive

    October 27, 2021

    Black Girls Dive Foundation students learn about science, technology, engineering, robotics, arts, and mathematics through SCUBA lessons.

  • Environmental Justice, More Than Just A Check Mark

    October 1, 2021

    Environmental justice starts in communities, not courtrooms.

  • What We Owe to George Washington Carver

    February 25, 2021

    In honor of Black History Month, we remember George Washington Carver, a scientist and pioneer in agricultural research. His work is fundamental to many important environmental practices used today. In particular, his research is critical to a number of CBF initiatives as it relates to today’s push for regenerative agriculture.

  • Meeting Harriet

    February 26, 2020

    In the marshes of the Chesapeake Bay, Harriet Tubman’s story comes alive.

  • And the Winner Is…

    February 13, 2020

    We asked for your help to name the bald eagle pair that’s taken to nesting near CBF’s Philip Merrill Center. The results are in!

  • Chesapeake Born

    September 13, 2018

    A lifelong Chesapeake waterman, father of nine, World War II vet, teacher, carpenter, farmer, and husband, Nat Jones life is nothing if not rich.

  • Black Heroes of the Bay

    February 22, 2018

    In honor of Black History Month, we celebrate five heroes of the Bay who continue to inspire us every day with their deep connection to and passion for the Chesapeake.

  • Environmental Justice in Rural Virginia

    Hear from the people of Charles City County, Virginia, a rural community east of Richmond being targeted for two large new natural gas plants and a pipeline expansion.

  • This Bay Is Going to Set Me Free

    Former CBF President Will Baker chats with Ray Langston, longtime resident and former mayor of Highland Beach, Maryland, a Bay-front community with a proud history and a bright future.

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