The Federalsburg Election: History 200 Years in the Making

For 200 years, the town of Federalsburg on Maryland's Eastern Shore has never had a Black elected official. However, all of that changed on a rainy Tuesday evening on September 26, 2023.

Learn about the lawsuit

Video by Nehemiah Bester.

TRANSCRIPT:

00:00 – 00:28
Nehemiah Bester
For 200 years, the town of Federalsburg on Maryland's Eastern Shore has never had a Black elected official. However, all of that changed on a rainy Tuesday evening on September 26, 2023.

00:31 – 00:48
Nehemiah Bester
The town's long standing at large elections system has diminished and diluted the influence of Black voters. Despite growth of the Black population to nearly half of Federalsburg population.

00:48 – 01:04
Nehemiah Bester
Seven Black women joined the Caroline County Branch of the NAACP, the Caucus of African American Leaders, and the ACLU of Maryland, to file suit against Federalsburg in Federal District Court in Baltimore under the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

01:05 – 01:18
Nehemiah Bester
On Tuesday, May 9th, 2023, a U.S. District Judge ordered the town of Federalsburg to submit a new plan to the court and the plaintiffs, to fix its racially discriminatory election system.

01:33 – 01:42
Nick Taichi Steiner
The judge decided to give the defendant two weeks to come up with a plan to fix their unlawful voting rights system.

01:42 – 01:50
Carl Snowden
This is a huge victory for the NAACP and the ACLU and people who are concerned with voting rights. This is a major victory.

01:50 – 02:17
Sherone Lewis
They asked me what would representation on the Town Council, how much - what would that mean to me? And I took a deep breath and I said, you know, I think it would make my grandparents proud. Choking back tears. I said, it will make my grandparents proud. It will make my mother proud. It would, it will make my children proud and my grandchildren to come.

02:17 – 02:38
Nick Taichi Steiner
So in two weeks time, hopefully the judge will not find that the system is unlawful, violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and order the defendant to produce or institute a remedial plan that corrects 200 years worth of disenfranchisement for the Black community in Federalsburg.

02:38 – 02:47
Roberta Butler
Two weeks, to get their act together and tell the truth and be truthful to us. They got two weeks to get their act together.

03:09 – 03:25
Nehemiah Bester
It's the evening of September 26, a few months after the hearing in Baltimore, where a special election is being held with the newly drawn election map to see if the drought of Black representation will finally come to an end for this community.

03:26 – 03:49
Brandy James
Thank you to everybody in the town of Federalsburg because they said 260 people came out to vote today. That's more, that is more people that has ever voted in the town’s history. So, we as a whole did that.

03:49 – 04:17
Brandy James
So, I just want to say thank you to all running members for the courage, for running. It was scary because we didn't know what we were doing. We were all just out there, we were blindly going through this process. But we got to the end of the marker. We're here and hopefully going forward whether we win or whether we lost, we can continue to do great things in Federalsburg and Caroline County period, where it's going to make a difference for everyone as a whole.

04:17 – 04:34
Darlene Hammond
I want to thank everybody for their support. I want to thank everybody that came out and voted. And then the community, everybody supported me and I thank you.

04:40 – 04:45
Town Official
Alright. Do you solemnly swear?

04:45 – 04:46
Brandy James
I solemnly swear.

04:47 – 04:58
Nehemiah Bester
In what would be a historic voter turnout in a Federalsburg election. Two Black women, Darlene Hammond and Brandy James, were elected to the Town Council for the first time ever.

04:58 – 05:00
Town Official
And all things, according to the laws of the State of Maryland,

05:00 – 05:02
Brandy James
according to the laws of the State of Maryland,

05:02 – 05:03
Town Official
and the ordinances,

05:03 – 05:04
Brandy James
and the ordinances,

05:04 – 05:07
Town Official
of the Mayor and Council of the Town of Federalsburg Maryland,

05:08 – 05:10
Brandy James
of the Mayor and Council of the Town of Federalsburg Maryland.

05:10 – 05:12
Town Official
Very good, congratulations!

05:18 – 05:30
Nehemiah Bester
It's a great step in the right direction, after 200 years of missteps by the local government and one that will hopefully inspire the next generation for 200 years and beyond.