Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture Hosts The Power of the Black Vote: Annual Symposium

Preserving Maryland Black History, Promoting Anti-Racism, and Encouraging Voter Participation in the 2020 Presidential Election

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) hosted its second annual symposium on Saturday, October 24th from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. This virtual event was streamed on the Banneker Douglass Museum (BDM) website, Facebook, and YouTube pages. “The Power of the Black Vote” was the theme of the Symposium which echoed the museum’s current exhibit, “The Black Vote Mural Project” and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History(ASALH) 2020 theme. 

Leading up to this year’s symposium and to assist with promotion of the symposium, BDM partnered with “When We All Vote” to launch “Why We Vote,” a campaign that highlights the importance of voting, especially in marginalized communities. This campaign includes PSAs from community leaders, MCAAHC Commissioners, and other notables such as Frances “Toni” Draper, CEO/Publisher, The Afro Newspaper; Wendy Osefo, Castmember, The Real Housewives of Potomac; Umar Bin Hassan, The Last Poets; Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates; and Michael Steele, former Maryland Lieutenant Governor. You can view these videos on BDM’s Facebook and Instagram.  

“I truly miss the dynamic and presence of in-person events,” said Chanel Compton, MCAAHC Executive Director. “But our team is becoming increasingly proficient at providing engaging programs for online audiences. That said, I am proud to announce that we had nearly 1,000 viewers on Saturday and I am confident they would agree the symposium was educational, informative, and timely. Stay tuned for more from BDM and MCAAHC. We are only getting started.”

Agenda:

10:00 AM Welcome Message
10:10 AM Session #1: “We The People”
10:40 AM Interview: Eddie Brown, Brown Capital Management “Black Economics and the Vote”
10:55 AM Musical Performance: John Wesley Wright & Co. 
11:00 AM Session #2: “Commissioner Reflections” 
11:40 AM Keynote Message: Dr. Ida B. Jones, Morgan State University
12:10 PM Banneker-Douglas Museum Virtual: “The Black Vote Mural Project” 
12:20 PM Musical Performance: Miss Tish Moaney
12:25 PM Session #3: “The Southern Negro Youth Congress and the Battle for the Black Vote”
12:50 PM 2020-2021 Anti-Racism Fund
12:55 PM Closing Message

“The upcoming election is a critical one and now, more than ever we need Black voices to be heard,” said Rev. Dr. Tamara England Wilson, Chair, MCAAHC. “I trust that the work we’ve done will inspire and encourage Black voters to turn out on election day in unprecedented numbers; our future is at stake.”  

Thank you to Maryland Humanities, PNC Bank, Arts Council of Annapolis, and the City of Annapolis for your support and making this possible. If you were unable to join the live event you can still experience ThePower of the Black Vote on BDM’s website by clicking here.