Deep Reads: A stranger bought the home where her family fled slavery
Stephanie Gilbert wrote a letter to Jungsun Kim, the new owner of Richland Farm in Clarksville, Md. In the letter, Gilbert laid out centuries of her family\u2019s remarkable history: the five generations of her enslaved ancestors who had labored at Richland Farm and a neighboring plantation for one of Maryland\u2019s most prominent families.
Gilbert explained in the letter that she\u2019d established a relationship with the White descendant who had inherited Richland \u2014 the woman who had just sold the estate to Kim for $3 million. During a decade of visits to Richland, she said, \u201cwe\u2019ve celebrated Juneteenth, commemorated the ancestors, wept for their trials, and celebrated their triumphs.\u201d
Then Gilbert made a request: Would Kim allow Gilbert, a stranger, to continue to visit the 133-acre estate where her enslaved ancestors are buried?
\u2013
This story is part of a collection of new, occasional bonus episodes you\u2019ll be hearing from \u201cPost Reports.\u201d We\u2019re calling these stories \u201cDeep Reads\u201d and they\u2019re part of The Post\u2019s commitment to immersive and narrative journalism.
Today\u2019s story was written by Sydney Trent and read by Adrienne Walker for Noa: News Over Audio, an app offering curated audio articles.