5th Annual Iron Sharpens Iron
Heritage Gala
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 5pm
Minnette Dick Hall | 2000 Hambrooks Blvd | Cambridge Md
An evening honoring legacy, leadership, and community impact
Honoring the Legacy of the late-Hansel Greene - Visionary Business Owner of the Greene Savoy, Greene’s Opera House, and other businesses on Pine Street.
Hansel Greene (1908 - 1967) and his wife Lena operated several important Pine Street Entertainment venues that made Cambridge a destination for Black music and community life. The Greenes owed and ran "Greene's Savoy, a premier spot for event entertainment and dancing, where regional and national musicians often performed. The Savoy served as both as a social hub for Cambridge's Black community and a stop on the circuit of performers traveling the Eastern Shore. Laster, they established a hotel in the rear of the building. Their as business owners helped sustain Pine Street's culture life through live music, dance and social gatherings.
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The Greene's Opera House (also spelled "Green" ) and later the Water's Opera House was a prominent entertainment venue located on Pine Street in Cambridge, Maryland, during the early to mid-20th century. Hansel and his brother William managed and operate this venue. The Opera House was integral to the vibrant African-American community on Pine Street, which was a bustling hub of Black-owned businesses, residences, churches, and cultural institutions amid the era of racial segregation. Often referred to collectively as “Greene’s and Waters Opera House,” operated specifically on a lot across from the current site of Eddie Beasley’s Pine Street Community Market (a new business on Pine St. directly opposite Wells Street. The venues were part of the Chitlin’ Circuit—a network of performance spaces across the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest United States that provided opportunities for African-American musicians, comedians, and entertainers from the 1930s to the 1960s, when segregation limited access to mainstream stages.
Honoring the Legacy of late-Dr. Theresa Stafford Educator, Advocate, and Community Leader
November 30, 1953 – December 14, 2023
Born and raised in Cambridge, Maryland, Dr. Theresa Stafford was a devoted educator, community leader, and unwavering advocate for children and families. Her life’s work was grounded in service, accountability, and a deep belief that every child deserves access to opportunity, dignity, and support.
A proud graduate of Cambridge High School, Dr. Stafford earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a master’s degree in education from Salisbury University, and a doctorate in Educational Innovation and Educational Leadership from Wilmington University. She dedicated nearly four decades to public education, serving as both teacher and administrator in Dorchester and Caroline Counties before retiring in 2014. Retirement did not slow her commitment to learning or leadership.
Dr. Stafford served her community in many roles, including the Dorchester County Board of Education, the Cambridge Planning and Zoning Commission, the Dorchester County Citizens Review Board for Children, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She was also a 22-year veteran of the Maryland Army National Guard, retiring as a Sergeant First Class, and a foster parent for nearly twenty years.
In 2016, she became Executive Director of New Beginnings Youth and Family Services, where her compassion and accountability created lasting impact. Dr. Theresa Stafford’s legacy lives on through the lives she touched and the community she loved—Cambridge, her home forever.
