africanamerican.maryland.gov
Source: http://africanamerican.maryland.gov
Archived: 2026-04-23 14:42
Skip to Content
Accessibility Information
Home
MCAAHC Mission
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.
Latest News
STATEMENT ON RECENT COVERAGE OF THE REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM
April 6, 2026
MCAAHC April 2026 Public Meeting Notice
March 30, 2026
MCAAHC’s The Pendulum – Winter 2026 Edition is Here!
March 19, 2026
Register Now for FY27 AAHPP Workshops
March 17, 2026
MCAAHC February 2026 Public Meeting & Closed Meeting (Commissioner Retreat) *Now Virtual!
January 29, 2026
MCAAHC APRIL 2026 PUBLIC MEETING
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2026
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CAREER PROGRAMS BUILDING, ROOM 211-213, 11400 ROBINWOOD DRIVE, HAGERSTOWN MD 21742
Hosted by
Commissioner Bridgett Jones Smith, Washington County
Featured Speaker:
Greetings by
Dr. James Klauber
, HCC President &
Mrs. Carolyn Brooks
Dr. Emilie Amt
, Historian/Activist, Washington County
Mrs. Carmen Jackson
, Historian/Activist, Allegany County
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about upcoming commission initiatives and engage in African American history and culture in Maryland!
Register
Agenda
View February 2026 Recording
The African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Grant Cycle FY27
The FY2027 African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Grant is opening April 2026!
Webinars and workshops are now available for the African American Preservation Program FY27 grant cycle. The FY27 application will open on April 2, 2026 and close on July 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Administered as a partnership between Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC), AAHPP provides $5 million in grants to assist with the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland.
Learn More
Grant Reviewers Wanted – Deadline 5/11/26!
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the African American Heritage Preservation Program’s grant review panel! The MCAAHC will seek volunteers who are passionate about Maryland’s African American history to assist with reviewing the FY 2027 AAHPP grant applications.
To apply, please click here to submit an application:
FY27 AAHPP Review Panel Application
.
Questions? Contact Alexandria Anderson, Research & Preservation Specialist, at
[email protected]
.
SHE SPEAKS
EXHIBITION AT THE BANNEKER-DOUGLASS-TUBMAN MUSEUM
The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum proudly announces its newest exhibition,
She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory
–a visionary presentation that examines the 250-year history of the United States of America through a Black Feminist lens.
This exhibition brings together a powerful constellation of contemporary Maryland-based and internationally recognized Black women artists whose deeply personal and politically charged works bear witness to the past, illuminate its impact on the present, and conjure Afrofuturist visions.
<<<
Artwork:
Fabiola Jean-Louis, Follow the Drinking Gourd (2019), 33 x 26 in |
Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie Myrtis
Learn More
MCAAHC Statewide Book Drive 2025-2026
Now in its third year, MCAAHC invites Marylanders’ contributions to a statewide book drive. Donations of unused books in alignment with the MCAAHC mission are welcomed at sites across the state from Maryland’s Emancipation Day, November 1, 2025, through Juneteenth, June 19, 2026.
The MCAAHC serves to be a voice and venue against the marginalization, false narratives, book banning, and other systemic practices that suppress, subordinate, and misrepresent the history of Maryland African Americans.
Learn More
The Pendulum Has Swung!
The Winter 2026 Edition is Now Out
Check out the Winter 2026 edition of
The Pendulum
, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture’s quarterly newsletter.
This edition marks
100 years of Black history scholarship
, honors the legacy of
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
, uplifts Maryland icons like
Benjamin Banneker
and
Senator Verda Freeman Welcome
, and centers Black women’s voices through the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum’s new exhibition,
She Speaks
.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Negro History Week and Baltimore
by Commissioner Walter Gill
The Invaluable Legacy of Senator Verda Freeman Welcome
by Alan Wierdak and Brendon Blackson
Spotlight on AAHPP Grantee, Malone’s Church
A moving
Letter from the Chair
and voices from our community in
Letters to the Pendulum
Commissioner spotlights, community events, committee updates & more!
The Pendulum is edited by the Historical Search, Preservation, and Publications Committee of the MCAAHC.
Read the Issue
We are not a DEI Program: We are Defenders of Freedom and Democracy | A Call to Action
Today, the hunt is on to root out “DEI” and so-called “divisive ideologies” from classrooms, libraries, museums, and public institutions across the country. The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) stands as a sentinel for preserving and advancing African American history and culture in Maryland. Read the call to action in the current edition of
The Pendulum
to learn more and join us in ensuring that the promise of American democracy is not abandoned, but fulfilled.
NEW MCAAHC LEADERSHIP FOR FY26 ANNOUNCED
Chair Kali-Ahset Amen
Vice Chair Jaelon T. Moaney
The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) is pleased to announce the newly elected leadership of Chair Kali-Ahset Amen, PhD and Vice Chair Jaelon T. Moaney effective July 1, 2025.
Engaging with Descendant African American Communities
Learn about upcoming initiatives of the Ancestral Remains Cemetery Research & Preservation Committee at this first meeting. Commissioners of the MCAAHC, MHT, and staff from the MAC Lab are collaborating on a plan consistent with state regulations that will permit these remains of African Descent to be laid to rest.
MCAAHC’s Ancestral Remains, Cemetery Research, and Preservation Committee and Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) have launched a project aimed at identifying lineal descendants or communities that are culturally affiliated with the remains of at least 15 individuals of African or possible African descent that are currently housed at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) in Calvert County, Maryland.
<<< Map of cemeteries at which remains were found | Courtesy of MHT
Learn More
Connect
We are looking to actively engage with descendant communities in an ethical and inclusive manner and will result in a plan for the respectful reburial of the remains.
MCAAHC Public Meeting Recordings
Missed a public meeting? Check out the recordings uploaded to the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum YouTube channel.
Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights 2024
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.
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.
Check out the launch event of the initiative featuring guest speakers Gov. Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, MCAAHC Chair Dr. Edwin T. Johnson, and Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson above.
Resource Page
Upcoming Meetings
MCAAHC April 2026 Public Meeting
Date: Monday, April 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Place: Hagerstown Community College, Career Programs Building, 11400 Robinwood Dr, Hagerstown, MD 21742
Register:
https://bit.ly/MCAAHCApril2026PublicMeeting
Agenda
FY26 Public Meeting Schedule
August 4, 2025
October 6, 2025
December 1, 2025
February 2, 2026
April 13, 2026
June 1, 2026
Click
here
for Public Meeting agendas, minutes, and video recordings.
Our Social Media Channels
We're available on the following channels.
Google Plus
YouTube
Vimeo
Video
Flickr
Pinterest
Snapchat
LinkedIn
Blogger
Delicious
Issuu
RSS Feed
Slack
Reddit
SoundCloud
Podcast
iTunes
eNews
GovDelivery
Accessibility Information
Home
MCAAHC Mission
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.
Latest News
STATEMENT ON RECENT COVERAGE OF THE REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM
April 6, 2026
MCAAHC April 2026 Public Meeting Notice
March 30, 2026
MCAAHC’s The Pendulum – Winter 2026 Edition is Here!
March 19, 2026
Register Now for FY27 AAHPP Workshops
March 17, 2026
MCAAHC February 2026 Public Meeting & Closed Meeting (Commissioner Retreat) *Now Virtual!
January 29, 2026
MCAAHC APRIL 2026 PUBLIC MEETING
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2026
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CAREER PROGRAMS BUILDING, ROOM 211-213, 11400 ROBINWOOD DRIVE, HAGERSTOWN MD 21742
Hosted by
Commissioner Bridgett Jones Smith, Washington County
Featured Speaker:
Greetings by
Dr. James Klauber
, HCC President &
Mrs. Carolyn Brooks
Dr. Emilie Amt
, Historian/Activist, Washington County
Mrs. Carmen Jackson
, Historian/Activist, Allegany County
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about upcoming commission initiatives and engage in African American history and culture in Maryland!
Register
Agenda
View February 2026 Recording
The African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Grant Cycle FY27
The FY2027 African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Grant is opening April 2026!
Webinars and workshops are now available for the African American Preservation Program FY27 grant cycle. The FY27 application will open on April 2, 2026 and close on July 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Administered as a partnership between Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC), AAHPP provides $5 million in grants to assist with the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland.
Learn More
Grant Reviewers Wanted – Deadline 5/11/26!
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the African American Heritage Preservation Program’s grant review panel! The MCAAHC will seek volunteers who are passionate about Maryland’s African American history to assist with reviewing the FY 2027 AAHPP grant applications.
To apply, please click here to submit an application:
FY27 AAHPP Review Panel Application
.
Questions? Contact Alexandria Anderson, Research & Preservation Specialist, at
[email protected]
.
SHE SPEAKS
EXHIBITION AT THE BANNEKER-DOUGLASS-TUBMAN MUSEUM
The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum proudly announces its newest exhibition,
She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory
–a visionary presentation that examines the 250-year history of the United States of America through a Black Feminist lens.
This exhibition brings together a powerful constellation of contemporary Maryland-based and internationally recognized Black women artists whose deeply personal and politically charged works bear witness to the past, illuminate its impact on the present, and conjure Afrofuturist visions.
<<<
Artwork:
Fabiola Jean-Louis, Follow the Drinking Gourd (2019), 33 x 26 in |
Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie Myrtis
Learn More
MCAAHC Statewide Book Drive 2025-2026
Now in its third year, MCAAHC invites Marylanders’ contributions to a statewide book drive. Donations of unused books in alignment with the MCAAHC mission are welcomed at sites across the state from Maryland’s Emancipation Day, November 1, 2025, through Juneteenth, June 19, 2026.
The MCAAHC serves to be a voice and venue against the marginalization, false narratives, book banning, and other systemic practices that suppress, subordinate, and misrepresent the history of Maryland African Americans.
Learn More
The Pendulum Has Swung!
The Winter 2026 Edition is Now Out
Check out the Winter 2026 edition of
The Pendulum
, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture’s quarterly newsletter.
This edition marks
100 years of Black history scholarship
, honors the legacy of
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
, uplifts Maryland icons like
Benjamin Banneker
and
Senator Verda Freeman Welcome
, and centers Black women’s voices through the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum’s new exhibition,
She Speaks
.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Negro History Week and Baltimore
by Commissioner Walter Gill
The Invaluable Legacy of Senator Verda Freeman Welcome
by Alan Wierdak and Brendon Blackson
Spotlight on AAHPP Grantee, Malone’s Church
A moving
Letter from the Chair
and voices from our community in
Letters to the Pendulum
Commissioner spotlights, community events, committee updates & more!
The Pendulum is edited by the Historical Search, Preservation, and Publications Committee of the MCAAHC.
Read the Issue
We are not a DEI Program: We are Defenders of Freedom and Democracy | A Call to Action
Today, the hunt is on to root out “DEI” and so-called “divisive ideologies” from classrooms, libraries, museums, and public institutions across the country. The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) stands as a sentinel for preserving and advancing African American history and culture in Maryland. Read the call to action in the current edition of
The Pendulum
to learn more and join us in ensuring that the promise of American democracy is not abandoned, but fulfilled.
NEW MCAAHC LEADERSHIP FOR FY26 ANNOUNCED
Chair Kali-Ahset Amen
Vice Chair Jaelon T. Moaney
The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) is pleased to announce the newly elected leadership of Chair Kali-Ahset Amen, PhD and Vice Chair Jaelon T. Moaney effective July 1, 2025.
Engaging with Descendant African American Communities
Learn about upcoming initiatives of the Ancestral Remains Cemetery Research & Preservation Committee at this first meeting. Commissioners of the MCAAHC, MHT, and staff from the MAC Lab are collaborating on a plan consistent with state regulations that will permit these remains of African Descent to be laid to rest.
MCAAHC’s Ancestral Remains, Cemetery Research, and Preservation Committee and Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) have launched a project aimed at identifying lineal descendants or communities that are culturally affiliated with the remains of at least 15 individuals of African or possible African descent that are currently housed at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) in Calvert County, Maryland.
<<< Map of cemeteries at which remains were found | Courtesy of MHT
Learn More
Connect
We are looking to actively engage with descendant communities in an ethical and inclusive manner and will result in a plan for the respectful reburial of the remains.
MCAAHC Public Meeting Recordings
Missed a public meeting? Check out the recordings uploaded to the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum YouTube channel.
Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights 2024
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.
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.
Check out the launch event of the initiative featuring guest speakers Gov. Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, MCAAHC Chair Dr. Edwin T. Johnson, and Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson above.
Resource Page
Upcoming Meetings
MCAAHC April 2026 Public Meeting
Date: Monday, April 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Place: Hagerstown Community College, Career Programs Building, 11400 Robinwood Dr, Hagerstown, MD 21742
Register:
https://bit.ly/MCAAHCApril2026PublicMeeting
Agenda
FY26 Public Meeting Schedule
August 4, 2025
October 6, 2025
December 1, 2025
February 2, 2026
April 13, 2026
June 1, 2026
Click
here
for Public Meeting agendas, minutes, and video recordings.
Our Social Media Channels
We're available on the following channels.
Google Plus
YouTube
Vimeo
Video
Flickr
Snapchat
Blogger
Delicious
Issuu
RSS Feed
Slack
SoundCloud
Podcast
iTunes
eNews
GovDelivery