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