About the SEHP

Taking its name from a local history curriculum developed by Howard University in 1995, the Sugarland Ethno-History Project was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in March 2005 by founder and longtime president Gwen Reese.

Today, through the diligence of volunteers, the organization continues to fulfill its mission: to preserve the historic Sugarland church; to maintain a vast collection of historical artifacts, images, and documents; to encourage further research into the history of Sugarland and other African American communities in the area; and to share that history with the wider public.

 Board of Directors
(updated October 2023)

*Suzanne Johnson, President
Michelle Brown, Secretary
*Narleen Garder, Treasurer
Jeff Sypeck
Caroline Taylor

Volunteers

*Nazeer Bahauddeen
Kristina Bostick
*Roberta Brantley
Stephani Estrada-El
*Danell Johnson
*Sylvia Murry
*Norma Stribbling
Tara Tetrault
*Angela Watts-Perry

* denotes a direct descendant of the Sugarland founders

The support of friends and neighbors is vital to the work of the SEHP. Please consider donating to help fund our efforts. We hope you’ll also purchase a copy of I Have Started for Canaan, our award-winning book that tells the Sugarland story from emancipation to the present day.