Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society invites you to a dedication ceremony for a highway marker for the Stewart Sisters v. The Steamer Sue on Saturday, October 4, at 12 Noon, at New Jerusalem Baptist Church, 2695 Kings Mill Road, Kinsale.
In 1884, sisters Martha and Winnie Stewart, Mary Johnson, and Lucy Jones were denied first-class quarters because of their race when traveling on the steamer Sue from Baltimore to visit family in Kinsale. The sisters sued in federal court asserting that segregated quarters were illegal and that the Sue’s were unequal. The award in their favor of $100 each was affirmed on appeal. This case was an impetus for the creation of the Mutual United Brotherhood of Liberty, a forerunner of the NAACP.
The marker unveiling will follow at the marker location on Route 202, just east of NWP Oil. Fannie Thomas of Baltimore, the only surviving grandchild of the Stewart Sisters, will lead the unveiling of the marker assisted by other descendants. A reception will follow at New Jerusalem.
For those who are unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on the genealogy society’s Facebook page. For further information, call 804-651-8753.
