Director’s Message – I wasn’t interested in school until…

Dear Friends,

When I think of why and how I became an executive director of a museum, I think of myself as a 15-year-old girl in high school. My high school was underfunded but had some of the best teachers, such as my art teacher, Ms. Malley.

I wasn’t really interested in school until my art teacher began enrolling me in free art and museum enrichment programs that opened my eyes to the beauty and power of African American art and history. As the Executive Director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Maryland’s official state museum on African American history and culture, my goal is to invest in young people the way others poured into me as a teenager.  

I’m asking for your support for the Banneker-Douglass Museum After School Program. Last summer, the Banneker-Douglass Museum and Leadership Anne Arundel piloted a successful after-school program for teens in the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) public housing community. We are relaunching this program with HACA public housing in January 2023! 

The Banneker-Douglass Museum After School Program presents African American art, history, and cultural workshops and field trips led by community mentors and educators. Our goal is to uplift and advance the next generation of scholars and community leaders. 

Will you help the Museum to bring this groundbreaking cultural experience to youth who need positive after-school programs? Please consider joining us in this effort with a gift of $25, $50, or $100. We have $32,000 left to raise by December 31, 2022, to meet our goal. 

You may make your tax-deductible donation by clicking this link: bdmuseum.maryland.gov/donate.

Or, mail your check to: Banneker-Douglass Museum Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 1442, Annapolis, MD 21404

All the students who will benefit from your generosity join me in thanking you for making a difference.

Happy holidays to you and yours, 

Chanel Compton Johnson

Executive Director, Banneker-Douglass Museum & Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture