The Banneker-Douglass Museum Celebrates Black History Month and its 40th Anniversary This February

For Immediate Release
January 25, 2024

The Banneker-Douglass Museum Celebrates Black History Month and its 40th Anniversary This February

Annapolis, MD – 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/ .

Contact: Jan Lee, Director of Marketing and Communications
jan.lee@maryland.gov | (410) 216-6185

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Interviews may be available upon request. Images available for press usage attached. Additional photos available upon request.

About Banneker–Douglass Museum

The Banneker–Douglass Museum is the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage and culture. It is operated by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. It serves to document, interpret, and promote African American history and culture through exhibitions, programs, and projects in order to improve the understanding and appreciation of America’s rich cultural diversity for all. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. To learn more, visit http://bdmuseum.maryland.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture is committed to discovering, documenting, preserving, collecting, and promoting Maryland’s African American heritage. The Commission also provides technical assistance to institutions and groups with similar objectives. Through the accomplishment of this mission, the MCAAHC seeks to educate Maryland citizens and visitors to our state about the significance of the African American experience in Maryland. To learn more, visit https://africanamerican.maryland.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook and LinkedIn.