MCAAHC Launches Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2023

Annapolis, MD – The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) and Banneker-Douglass Museum are declaring 2024 as “Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights” with exciting and relevant programming, exhibitions, and partnerships. This Wednesday, October 25th, the commission will launch the initiative with guest speakers Gov. Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, MCAAHC Chair Dr. Edwin T. Johnson, and Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson.

What: Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights Launch Event
When: Wednesday, October 25, 2023 / 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Where: Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Light refreshments will be served.

Other notable guests will include commissioners from the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, county officials, city officials, African American cultural agency leadership, and members of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. The event will also be live-streamed on the Banneker-Douglass Museum’s YouTube and Facebook pages for the general public.

With 2024 being the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act (1964), original programming and participation in platforms with community partners will commemorate the milestone year of this groundbreaking legislation. From 1964’s Bell vs. Maryland to 1963’s Treaty of Cambridge, Maryland has been the backdrop to civil rights legislation throughout the years. Additionally, Maryland has been the home to civil rights icons who will forever have a place in the history of this nation, such as Verda Freeman Welcome, Thurgood Marshall, and Gloria Richardson.

Programming is supported in part by the Association of African American Museums and the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN) grant. Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson, Executive Director of the Association of African American Museums will present the grant check to the commission and museum staff at the event. 

Members of the media are invited to attend and capture this momentous occasion. 

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About 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/. 

About Banneker-Douglass Museum

The Banneker-Douglass Museum is a unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives and the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage 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, LinkedIn, and YouTube.