The Banneker-Douglass Museum (BDM) and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) are proud to announce a series of dynamic programs and exhibitions in celebration of Black History Month, Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights, and BDM’s 40th anniversary. Residents and visitors are in for transformative and inspiring experiences!
“With so much to celebrate this month in Maryland African American history and culture, we are taking this opportunity to honor changemakers, reflect on the journey, and inspire future generations”, said Chanel C. Johnson, Executive Director of BDM and MCAAHC.
PROGRAMS
Black Power Freedom Party & Reception: The 10 Points and Beyond
Friday, February 2nd | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
St. John’s College, Annapolis, MD 21401
Tickets: $40 | freedomparty.eventbrite.com
Kick off Black History Month with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture! Join us in a grand celebration as we pay homage to the radical Black history makers of Maryland who have fearlessly challenged the status quo and left a lasting mark on history, art, and culture.
The evening will include a conversation with NAACP Image Award-winning author and Maryland native, Carole Boston Weatherford. Honorees are Myrtis Bedolla, Carl Snowden, Delegate Shaneka Henson
W. Paul Coates, Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones, Gov. Wes Moore & First Lady Dawn Moore, and Erricka Bridgeford. April Sampé and Dem B-more Katz will provide live music. Tickets include entry to the talk, reception, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and drink tickets.
MCAAHC February 2024 Public Meeting
Monday, February 5, 2024 | 11:00am
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
830 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Register: https://bit.ly/Feb2024PublicMeeting
Join us for the Black History Month edition of the public meeting for the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). This month’s public meeting hosts will be the Baltimore City commission delegation. Guest speakers are Dayvon Love, Director of Public Policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and Dr. Schroeder Cherry, Museum Curator at the James E. Lewis Museum of Art. Attendees can also network with various Black Baltimore-based cultural arts vendors.
Baltimore Read Aloud Story Time
Thursday, February 15, 2024 | 11:00am – 12:00pm
Banneker-Douglass Museum
84 Franklin Street, Annapolis MD 21401
Register: https://bit.ly/Feb2024StoryTime
Join us for a fun-filled morning where stories come to life! Baltimore Read Aloud and Banneker-Douglass Museum presents Day Out at the Museum, a monthly storytime series for ages 2 to 5. Let their imaginations run wild as we dive into enchanting tales. Expect a read aloud, interactive games, art activities, and light snacks. Pre-K classes and day care groups welcome!
String of Pearls the Musical
Sunday, February 18, 2024 | 11:00am – 12:00pm
Maryland Hall
801 Chase St, Annapolis, MD 21401
Tickets: https://bit.ly/StringofPearlsMusical
Maryland Hall, in association with Banneker-Douglass Museum, is proud to present the jazz musical String of Pearls. This captivating musical tells the love story of Nettie and Sam, sharecroppers, who dare to preserve their love in a daring and ingenious escape from the Chikoree Wood Cotton Plantation to Washington, D.C.’s Greater U Street neighborhood. The adventures, calamities, and flashes of joy and wonder they encounter are the thread that holds them together–The String of Pearls. A panel discussion with Annapolis cultural leaders, including Dr. Edwin T. Johnson will follow the show.
REVISIT/REIMAGINE Exhibition Opening Reception & BDM’s 40th Anniversary
Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Banneker-Douglass Museum
84 Franklin Street, Annapolis MD 21401
Register: https://bit.ly/RevisitReimagineOpening
Join us in celebrating BDM’s anniversary and the opening of the meditative exhibition REVISIT/REIMAGINE: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today. REVISIT/REIMAGINE is a multidisciplinary exhibition that remembers the legacies of civil rights leaders and their effect on Black Marylanders and the United States in totality. In collaboration with AFRO Archives, images of nationally and locally recognized civil rights leaders will be on display accompanied by the work of contemporary artists living and working in the Maryland area. Come and hear from featured artists in the exhibit during an artist talk led by the exhibit’s curator, Thomas James.
EXHIBITIONS
REVISIT/REIMAGINE: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today
On display February 24, 2024 – January 4, 2025
REVISIT/REIMAGINE: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today, a multidisciplinary exhibition that remembers the legacies of civil rights leaders and their effect on Black Marylanders and the United States in totality. In collaboration with AFRO Archives, images of nationally and locally recognized civil rights leaders will be on display accompanied by the work of contemporary artists living and working in the Maryland area. The gallery will be designed to emulate that of an interior home space with books, records, and other objects scattered throughout. This layout will serve as a visual representation of intergenerational relationships and how the issues of civil rights have transformed, progressed, and regressed throughout the 60 years between the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and our current existence today.
Deep Roots, Rising Waters: A Celebration of African Americans in Maryland
Permanent Exhibit
This exhibition provides an overview of African American history in Maryland from 1633 through present day. Learn how African Americans throughout Maryland made lasting changes for all Americans.
Learn more about current exhibitions at https://bdmuseum.maryland.gov/exhibitions/ .
