A community’s history lives in its people, its places, and the stories passed from one generation to the next. When those places disappear, what happens to the history they hold?

Talbot Family Network will explore that question during its next Conversations on Race program, “What History Do We Remember?” on Monday, Dec. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Easton Meeting Room of the Talbot County Free Library.

The free public program will feature a screening of “Eroding History,” followed by facilitated dialogue about race, place, memory, and what happens when places that hold a community’s history are threatened. A light meal and refreshments will be provided.

The documentary follows two historic Black communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore as they confront the combined effects of rising sea levels and the lasting effects of racial inequities on their land and cultural heritage.  The film highlights residents’ efforts to preserve their communities and the histories connected to them. The film will provide a starting point for participants to reflect on whose histories are remembered, whose may be overlooked, and how their own understanding of the past has been shaped.

Losing a place can also mean losing the stories and connections that help people understand where they come from,” said Nancy Andrew, executive director of Talbot Family Network. “We hope this conversation encourages people to listen closely, consider whose experiences may be missing from the history they know, and think about how those stories have shaped their own understanding of our communities.

The December gathering continues the 2026–27 Conversations on Race season’s exploration of how the stories communities tell and preserve shape their understanding of themselves. Participants do not need to have attended an earlier session to take part.

The season draws from Building the Next 250 Years, a community conversation framework developed by NxtLevel and the American Association for State and Local History. Using the nation’s 250th anniversary as a starting point, Talbot Family Network brings a racial-equity lens to questions about history, community values, belonging, and whose experiences are remembered or overlooked.

The Conversations on Race series is free and open to the public. Advance registration for the December session is required at bit.ly/dec26convo. The series continues in 2027, with Shore Lit returning as a program partner in January.

Talbot Family Network serves as Talbot County’s Local Management Board and was established by the state of Maryland to change the way services are provided to children and families. TFN identifies priorities and targets resources for the jurisdiction’s communities, coordinates child and family services, and administers state resources. Local Management Boards improve coordination across state agencies and empower local stakeholders to help drive local priorities.