Darius Johnson serves as the Director of the Chesapeake Heartland Project. He is a scholar-practitioner focused on public history, historic preservation, community development, and philanthropy. His efforts are driven by his desire to help strengthen and sustain communities by drawing upon the intersections of cultural heritage, land use, and storytelling.

Mr. Haley is a prominent thought leader in African American genealogy and the arts. He is also the nephew of Alex Haley, author of the novel Roots which has reached its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Carolyn Brooks is a native of Kent County, Maryland. She graduated from the historic Garnet High School in Chestertown. Brooks earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Morgan State University in Baltimore. She also obtained a Master's in Special Education from Coppin State College in Baltimore. Brooks believes it is important for the stories of African American communities in Kent County to be told and documented. She is in the process of writing the history of her home church. She also plans to write the history of her elementary school and the history of the community of Coleman of which she grew up.

Airlee Ringgold Johnson is a native of Chestertown, Maryland. She graduated from the historically Black Garnet High School. She attended the University of Maryland's Eastern Shore where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She also earned a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Utah's European Campus.As a Community Historian for Chesapeake Heartland: An African American Humanities Project, Johnson serves as the primary contact and coordinator for the Chesapeake Heartland's community curation efforts: locating, digitizing and preserving documents as well as providing resources for community residents to curate and share this history.

A descendant of founding Black families in both Kent and Talbot counties, Jaelon is a proud Talbot County Public Schools graduate and holds a B.A. with honors from Williams College.

An unwavering commitment to stewarding living legacies on, and along, Chesapeake Bay tributaries earned him 'Next Generation of Cultural Preservation' recognition from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund alongside Chesapeake Heartland Director Darius Johnson.

His passion for elevating all-things-Delmarva is visible through his scholarship, rural advocacy and robust community engagement.

Dr. Markin is a professor of archaeology and anthropology at Washington College. She conducts research on a variety of subjects including archeological ethics and the cultural meanings behind built environments. She holds a B.A., from the University of Alabama and a PhD. from the University of Georgia.

As a lifelong historian, Melissa wants to advance and secure the longevity of African American history, literature, and culture in the nation’s high education repositories as well as within the communities who generate the history that archives are created to steward.