Talbot Family Network’s June Conversations on Race program will explore how theater can reflect contemporary conversations about race, identity, and community dialogue through a partnership with local Mid-Shore theatre company, the Groove Factory.
The event will take place on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Talbot County Free Library’s Easton meeting room. A light dinner and refreshments will be provided.
The program, titled “Dialogue on Race: The Dramatic Irony of Racial Discussion,” will feature performers and creative team members connected to the recent production of “53% Of,” a contemporary play examining complicity, identity, and the tensions surrounding race and political discourse in America.
The evening will include a 40-minute live performance of excerpts from the production, presented in an intimate, in-the-round style designed to encourage audience connection and engagement.
Written by New York City-based playwright Steph Del Rosso, “53% Of” examines the social and political divisions that shape conversations about race, privilege, and accountability. The production recently concluded a run as part of the Groove Factory’s 2026 theatrical season..
Following the performance, participants will engage in a facilitated community discussion about the role theater can play in examining difficult social issues and creating opportunities for reflection and dialogue.
“Conversations on Race has always been about creating thoughtful, respectful spaces where people can engage honestly with challenging topics,” said Nancy Andrew, executive director of Talbot Family Network. “Theater invites audiences to experience new perspectives and emotions in a personal way.”
The Groove Factory is a Mid-Shore nonprofit performing arts organization dedicated to creating inclusive opportunities for artistic collaboration, performance, and community engagement.
“Theater has the power to hold a mirror up to society while also creating space for empathy and conversation,” said Cecile Davis, creative director for the Groove Factory. “This discussion allows us to move beyond performance and into community engagement, where art can help people examine assumptions, ask questions, and connect with one another in meaningful ways.”
“53% Of challenges audiences to examine the stories we tell ourselves about race, innocence, and responsibility,” E.T. Wilford, artistic director for the Groove Factory, and director of this production. “Our hope is that these conversations continue beyond the stage and encourage people to engage more openly and honestly with one another.”
The Conversations on Race series is held monthly from September through June, with each session designed to stand alone while contributing to an ongoing community dialogue about race, equity, and inclusion.
The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required at bit.ly/june26convo, with seating limited.
Talbot Family Network serves as Talbot County’s Local Management Board, established by the state of Maryland to improve coordination of services for children and families. The organization identifies local priorities, directs resources, and promotes collaboration among agencies and community partners. More information is available at https://healthytalbot.org/about/talbot-family-network/.
Exciting summer reading for kids and teens starts on Saturday, June 6th, from 10 am – 2 pm at the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival at the Talbot County Free Library, 100 W Dover St, in Easton, MD!
Over 20 authors and illustrators will give readings of their books with crafts, displays, and giveaways throughout the day. For a complete schedule, list of authors, and sponsors, click here.
Come to the Easton Library Lobby on May 19th for office hours with Talbot County Parks and Rec!
Learn about Talbot County Parks & Rec and register in person. Meet the Program Coordinator, Ellie Kilmon and share things you would like to see at Talbot County Parks & Rec.
Talbot Family Network will launch the April installment of its Conversations on Race series with a new community partnership and an interactive program focused on language, power, and equity.
The event will take place on Monday, April 27, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Talbot County Free Library, located at 100 W. Dover Street in Easton. A light dinner and refreshments will be provided.
For January, Talbot Family Network is partnering with Shore Lit to present a 90-minute facilitated program centered on Critical Language Awareness and Linguistic Justice. The session will explore how language shapes perceptions, reinforces bias, and influences a sense of belonging, with an emphasis on listening, reflection, and dialogue.
The program is being designed and facilitated by Shore Lit Founder and Director Kerry Folan, who will incorporate audio storytelling and guided discussion to examine how oral prejudice and assumptions about language affect individuals and communities. The format is intended to encourage shared learning in an accessible, welcoming environment.
Conversations on Race creates space for our community to engage with complex issues in thoughtful and meaningful ways,” said Nancy Andrew, executive director of Talbot Family Network. “This partnership with Shore Lit allows us to explore race through the lens of language, which is central to how we connect, include, and understand one another.”
“Our conversations about race often focus on visual signifiers and perceptions. But there are also relationships among race, language, and power,” said Folan. “This conversation draws on my training as a professor of writing and literature and invites people to reflect on their own experiences with language, considering the often invisible power structures inherent within and the impact of linguistic hierarchies on our perceptions of race.
The event is free and open to the public, with advanced registration required and seating limited. Registration is available at bit.ly/apr26convo.
The Conversations on Race series is held monthly from September through May, typically on the last Monday of each month. Each session stands on its own while contributing to a broader community dialogue on race, equity, and inclusion. Partners for the 2025–26 series include Shore Lit, ShoreRivers, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and others.
Shore Lit is a nonprofit literary organization based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that promotes reading, creative writing, and literary engagement across the region. Through free author talks, youth writing workshops, and literacy programs, Shore Lit amplifies diverse voices and creates experiences of joy and connection around storytelling. Its programs serve readers and writers across ages and backgrounds throughout the Mid-Shore, with more at www.shorelit.org.
Talbot Family Network serves as Talbot County’s Local Management Board, established by the state of Maryland to improve coordination of services for children and families. TFN identifies local priorities, targets resources, and fosters collaboration across agencies and communities. More information is available at www.healthytalbot.org/about/talbot-family-network/.
Note: This event was originally scheduled in January, and rescheduled due to a weather-related cancellation.
Participants in the upcoming Conversations on Race series will view a CBS 60 Minutes feature on the Clotilda—the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States—and explore the experiences of their descendants in Africatown, Alabama.
The story examines how families connected to the Clotilda are grappling with questions of legacy, power, and reconciliation generations later.
The screening begins at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 8, in the Easton Room of the Talbot County Free Library and includes a shared discussion, refreshments, and a light meal. You can save a seat by registering here.
The Clotilda segment shares the story of the ship’s 1860 voyage, which illegally transported 110 captive Africans to Mobile, Alabama, more than 50 years after the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed. The vessel was later burned and sunk in an effort to conceal the crime.
Its wreckage, discovered in 2019, renewed attention to the descendants of Africatown’s founders—a community built by survivors and their families.
The segment explores the experiences of both the descendants and the families whose ancestors enslaved them as they grapple with questions of inheritance and healing. The longer Netflix documentary Descendant and Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” also delve into the Clotilda story.
Nancy Andrew, executive director of the Talbot Family Network, said the Conversations on Race program is designed to create meaningful community connections through shared learning.
“We chose this impactful film because it explores issues of legacy, generational wealth, and personal agency,” Andrew said. “Each session stands on its own, but together they deepen our understanding of race and history.”
Dana Newman, executive director of the Talbot County Free Library, said hosting the series aligns with the library’s mission to foster dialogue and inclusion.
“Public libraries are one of the few truly shared spaces in any community,” Newman said. “Hosting Conversations on Race helps us bring people together to learn from one another and confront history with empathy and understanding. It’s how we build a stronger, more connected Talbot County.”
The event is free, with space limited. Advance registration is required at bit.ly/dec8convo.
The Conversations on Race series is free and open to the public, held monthly from September through May, typically on the last Monday of each month. Partners for the 2025–26 series include the Water’s Edge Museum, Shore Lit, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and others.
The Talbot Family Network serves as Talbot County’s Local Management Board, established by the state of Maryland to improve coordination of services for children and families. TFN identifies local priorities, targets resources, and fosters collaboration across agencies and communities. More information is available here.
Talbot Family Network’s Conversations on Race series continues on Monday, October 27, with an exploration of the Talbot Historical Society’s United States Colored Troops: With Valor and Honor exhibition, followed by discussion and a shared meal.
Participants in the free event will be invited to explore the exhibition between 5 and 6:00 p.m., with a museum docent available to answer any questions.
Guests will then gather at the Talbot County Free Library beginning at 6:00 p.m. for dialogue, a light meal, and refreshments.
The With Valor and Honor exhibition highlights the sacrifices and contributions of local men whose courage and perseverance helped reshape American history as part of the United States Colored Troops (USCT).
Developed in collaboration with descendants, local organizations, and historians, the exhibit tells the story of the United States Colored Troops from Talbot County who served in the Civil War after the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This order allowed both free and enslaved Black men to join the Union Army and Navy.
Of the 180,000 Black men who served, 8,718 were from Maryland, and more than 600 were from Talbot County. Their enlistment was significantly influenced by Frederick Douglass, the Talbot County-born abolitionist and orator who strongly advocated for Black participation in the war.
At 6:00 p.m., participants will gather in the Easton Meeting Room of the Talbot County Free Library for a light meal and refreshments, followed by a facilitated conversation about the relevance of this historical exploration to our community and lives today.
Nancy Andrew, executive director of the Talbot Family Network, said the Conversations on Race program is designed to create meaningful community connections through shared learning.
This exhibition offers an opportunity not just to reflect on the contributions of these men, but to consider how their legacy continues to shape Talbot County today,” Andrew said. “By engaging in dialogue after the tour, we invite participants to connect history to present-day experiences and aspirations.
Peggy Morey, executive director of the Talbot Historical Society, hopes program participants will walk away with a more profound sense of appreciation for the stories told in With Valor and Honor.
These men showed extraordinary courage in answering the call to serve, often under impossible conditions,” Morey said. “Their contributions are too often overlooked, and we are proud to honor their memory here in their own community.
The free event has limited participation, and advanced registration is required at bit.ly/oct27convo.
The Conversations on Race Series is free and open to the public, taking place monthly from September through May, typically on the last Monday of each month. Other 2025-26 Conversations on Race partners include the Water’s Edge Museum, Shore Lit, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and more.
The 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 while coordinating child and family services and administering state resources. Local Management Boards improve coordination across state agencies and empower local stakeholders to help drive local priorities.
READ MORE: United States Colored Troops History, African American Civil War Memorial Museum
