Jaelon Moaney’s appointment as Deputy Director of the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College is a full–circle return to his roots on the Eastern Shore.
A tenth-generation son of Talbot and Kent County, his ancestors helped found Copperville, the only American village founded by once-enslaved soldiers. They also helped establish the earliest free Black community known as “The Hill” in Easton.
A graduate of Easton High School and a B.A. with honors from Williams College as a political science major, Moaney’s journey back to the Cambridge area has been replete with education, preservation, and state-level engagements to not only foster an understanding of Black history but to promote and advocate learning projects honoring the “legacies and landscapes” of Delmarva.
Co-founder of the Needles Eye Academy in Talbot County, a project to promote the “literary empowerment for the Black & Brown youth of MD’s Eastern Shore”—covered in the Spy here—Moaney was recently appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to be on the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.
Moaney has emerged as a prominent figure in the national preservation movement in the United States, championing causes on Capitol Hill and state capitols nationwide. His deep policy knowledge and advocacy efforts played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, encompassing Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and southern Prince George’s counties. President Joe Biden signed this designation into law in January 2023. Additionally, his achievements include securing the confirmation of the Hon. Sara C. Bronin, the first person of color to chair the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the expansion and redesignation of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park to include four locations outside of the original site in Kansas. He also played a key role in establishing the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area in Chicago, Illinois, and the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Texas.
Director of the Starr Center Adam Goodheart writes, “All of us at the Starr Center are thrilled to have Jaelon as the newest member of our leadership team. He comes to us with vision, passion, and an impressive record of community engagement and public service, as well as strong professional connections throughout Maryland and beyond. What’s more, he’s a proud native son of the Eastern Shore who draws inspiration from that legacy and is eager to share it with others. We can expect to see him at the helm of some exciting initiatives ahead.”
Jaelon Moaney recently shared his vision of working with the Starr Center with the Spy last week.
This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about the Starr Center at Washington College please go here.
