BLACK HISTORY
Frederick Douglass escaped to freedom from Baltimore , and much more ,” says Shauntee Daniels , executive director of the Baltimore National Heritage Area , one of 49 Congressionally designated national heritage areas across the country .
The city also birthed noted Black leaders , including Thurgood Marshall , famed civil rights attorney and the first African American Supreme Court Justice , as well as attorney Elijah Cummings , who served in the U . S . Congress from 1996 until his death in 2019 .
These days , Black excellence and influence lives on in Baltimore . Take artist Ernest Shaw , born in Baltimore and educated , in part , at the city ’ s Morgan State University . He has painted murals throughout the city and created prints that preserve the visages of everyone from James Baldwin to beautiful and strong — but unnamed — Black subjects . Or Meccamorphosis , a Baltimore-based poet and performer who has not only competed in and won honors in poetry competitions but also has taught students how to use poetry for healing .
“[ Black ] Baltimore doesn ’ t have to be read about in a textbook or experienced only in archival footage ; you can take a walking tour , talk to a local , visit our cultural institutions , and even take a drive and engage with critical parts of African American culture . We are rich with it !” Daniels explains .
As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic , you ’ ll note that some previously popular sites and attractions may not be open to typical visits right now , but there are still ways to carefully celebrate Black History Month , including virtual cultural offerings and outdoor destinations that are social distance friendly .
So , this winter , let February be the commemorative point at which you can discover the beauty of our shared history , and even its pain . Seek to understand what has brought us all together , to this point in time , but don ’ t limit yourself to just a month . Use this to explore more of what you ’ ve already learned in previous seasons and years as we continue to grow , and consider these Baltimore activities and destinations as a starting point .
VISIT A MUSEUM
WITH SO MANY CITY OFFERINGS , HERE ’ S A BRIEF SAMPLING .
Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum
This is a woman you should know : Dr . Lillie Carroll Jackson was a former Baltimore Chapter NAACP president and civil rights activist . Upon her death , she left behind her four-story row home in Bolton Hill , where civil rights campaigns were once organized , to be used as a museum . Today , it ’ s home to six galleries filled with drawings , paintings , letters , photographs and historic documents related to the Civil Rights Movement . Though it was closed to in-person visitors due to the pandemic at press time , you can visit its website for a peek into its virtual archive . Or contact the museum to schedule a virtual tour ; visit the website for the latest news .
SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL TOUR
Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum
30 BALTIMORE . ORG