Bankins New President of Sotterley Board
(Photo by Ceandra B. Scott of Sole Scott Photography)
Gwendoline Bankins will lead Historic Sotterley as its new Board of Trustees president. She formerly held the position of vice president of the board. Ms. Bankins will be the first person in Maryland who was descended from those enslaved at a historic site to step into this leadership role.
Sotterley also announced that Nancy Easterling, executive director, will be leaving after two decades of service and leadership.
Ms. Bankins first came to Sotterley at the age of 10 at the request of her cousin, Agnes Kane Callum. Ms. Callum was the first person whose ancestors were enslaved at Historic Sotterley to serve on its Board of Trustees. The course of her journey with her own history and with Sotterley lead Bankins to join the board in 2019, serving as the chair of its Preservation, Restoration, and Interpretation Committee, and the chair of its descendant-lead Day of Unity and Healing.
The public is invited to commemorate this milestone at “From Legacy to Leadership: Answering the Call” from 2 to 6pm Sunday, June 22, 2025, at Historic Sotterley. RSVP here.
Nancy Easterling and Gwendoline Bankins. (Photo by Ceandra B. Scott)
Ms. Easterling joined Historic Sotterley’s staff in July 2005 and became the executive director in February 2009. Her leadership has transformed the organization.
Notably, during her tenure, Sotterley launched two programs: the Descendants’ Project in 2017 and the Common Ground initiative in 2018, which brought together descendants of plantation owners, those who were enslaved at Sotterley, and post emancipation laborers to foster discussions about our shared history and its legacy and avenues for understanding and healing within the local community.
She also helped to secure critical grants to preserve the site’s structures and landscapes, and to better tell its stories. Additionally, she advocated for bringing Sotterley’s farm back to life in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way which has been an incredible teaching tool and a support for the community.
Historic Sotterley, in Hollywood, MD, is a National Historic Landmark and a UNESCO Site of Memory for the Routes of Enslaved Peoples.
It is one of the oldest museums of its kind in the US, with a history dating back to the turn of the 18th century. Through the preservation of the site’s historic structures and natural environment and the use of stories to educate and bring American history to life, the organization strives to foster a better understanding of the world today by providing a living link to America’s history and legacy of slavery.
