Education
Creating space for people to learn the history, context, and stories that shape their communities.
Community impact
Honoring the past. Building power for what comes next.
Kisha’s community work centers on education, representation, revitalization, and the stories that help a place remember itself.
Eastern Shore Network for Change
Community-rooted change
Founded by Kisha Petticolas and Dion D. Banks in 2012, the Eastern Shore Network for Change raises awareness of issues in Dorchester County and works creatively with the community to inform, educate, and foster change that leads to social and economic empowerment.
The work in practice
Representation
Centering voices and experiences that have too often been overlooked or left out of the record.
Revitalization
Supporting a future for the Pine Street community that honors its legacy and its people.
Eastern Shore Network for Change
Reclaiming lost narratives. Building a better tomorrow.
The Eastern Shore Network for Change is rooted in the belief that the status quo is not an option. Together, Kisha Petticolas and Dion D. Banks work to reclaim lost narratives, preserve Black history, and create opportunities for community-led change.
ESNC
Our vision
To be an allied resource for existing community-based programs, local government, social service institutions, public schools, higher learning institutions, the department of corrections, and local courts.
ESNC
Our mission
ESNC raises awareness of issues in Dorchester County and creatively works with the community to inform, educate, and foster change that leads to social and economic empowerment.
Community accomplishments
Reclaiming our narrative
February 11, 2017
Gloria Richardson Day
Through the unwavering advocacy and leadership of Dion D. Banks and Kisha Petticolas, co-founders of the Eastern Shore Network for Change, the State of Maryland proclaimed February 11 as Gloria Richardson Day in 2017. By Maryland State Law, official days of recognition traditionally honor individuals after their passing — making this effort an uphill battle. But ESNC believed her legacy, courage, and lifetime of service deserved recognition now, not later. In February 2017, Governor Larry Hogan made history by changing that tradition, issuing a proclamation honoring Gloria Richardson as a living icon — the first time in Maryland state history that such an honor was granted to a living person.
June 24, 2026
Stephen Allen Benson Day
On June 24, 2026, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland and Her Excellency Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia, signed the first-ever Sister-State Memorandum of Understanding between the State of Maryland and an African nation, establishing a framework for cooperation in trade, education, public health, agriculture, cultural exchange, and sustainable development. Under the leadership of Dion D. Banks and Kisha Petticolas, the City of Cambridge proclaimed June 24, 2026 as Stephen Allen Benson Day — honoring Cambridge's native son who became the second President of the Republic of Liberia. Stephen Allen Benson was born on May 21, 1816, in Cambridge, Maryland, to freeborn African-American parents, and rose to become a statesman whose legacy bridges continents.
ESNC presents
Voices of Change podcast
Voices of Change is the official podcast of the Eastern Shore Network for Change, created to amplify truth, elevate voices, and inspire action across the Eastern Shore and beyond.
Listen at esnc.podbean.comCommunity engagement
Tune in. Be heard. Make a difference.
Join the conversation, share what matters, and help turn community insight into meaningful action.
Explore community engagementRemembering the past
Reflections on Pine
In 2017, ESNC hosted a four-day series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Pine Street fire. Residents, historians, faith leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered for dialogue, remembrance, and a shared commitment to preserve Black history on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Remember
Honoring the courage of those who fought for justice and improved the lives of generations.
Heal
Creating safe spaces for truth, dialogue, and reconciliation.
Build
Working together to create opportunity and a better future for all.
Diplomacy in action
Cambridge to Addis Ababa
In February 2018, Kisha Petticolas traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as part of a U.S. State Department speaker program. Alongside Dion D. Banks and then-Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley, she shared Cambridge’s civil rights story and community healing work with audiences across Ethiopia.