Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Page By Page: Collections Visit
2022-11-17 17:30 - 18:30 UTC
Page by Page: Collections Visit
November 17, 2022
Time will be provided upon registration
Members Only. Registration Required (limited to 12 people)
Join the Reginald F. Lewis Museum Collections Manager & Registrar for a behind-the-scenes look at the books and archival items from the Black authors in The Lewis Museum Collections. Learn how we preserve items and how our collections reflect the unique lives and histories of Black authors, publishers, and Black reading culture.
Register Here

Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom
2022-11-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, 21202, United States
Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom Film and Discussion
Sunday, November 13, 2022
2 pm – 4 pm ET
In-person
Free with Museum admission
Join us for a screening of Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom commemorating the 200th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s birth and the observation of Maryland Emancipation Day. Educators are encouraged to attend. Produced by Maryland Public Television in association with Firelight Films executive producers Academy Award-nominated Stanley Nelson (Attica, Freedom Riders, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution) and Lynne Robinson, Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom is a nuanced portrait of the woman known as the Conductor of the Underground Railroad, who risked her own freedom and life to liberate others from slavery. Born in Dorchester County, Maryland, 200 years ago — 2022 marks her bicentennial —Tubman escaped north to Philadelphia in 1849, covering more than 100 miles alone. Once there, Tubman became involved in the abolitionist movement, and through the Underground Railroad, guided an estimated 70 enslaved people to freedom. The film goes beyond the legend of Tubman to explore what motivated her — including divine inspiration — to become one of the greatest freedom fighters of all time.
The film was produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London. Keith M. Brown and Michael English are the executives in charge of production. Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom was written by Paul Taylor, Nicole London and Marcia Smith. Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® award-winning actor Alfre Woodard is the narrator of Harriet Tubman: Visions Of Freedom and acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce is the voice of Frederick Douglass in the film.

The screening will be followed by a conversation with noted authorities on the life of Harriet Tubman including:

Mia Bay – Historian; Roy F. and Jeanette P. Nichols Professor of American History at the University of Pennsylvania
Angela Crenshaw – Maryland Park Ranger, Manager to Rocks, Susquehanna & Palmer State Parks, and former Assistant Park Manager for Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park
Nicole London – Co-Director and Producer of Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom

The conversation will be moderated by Travis Mitchell – MPT Senior VP, and Chief Content Officer overseeing film projects, Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom and Becoming Frederick Douglass

Register Here

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom and Becoming Frederick Douglass are co-productions of Firelight Films and Maryland Public Television. Production support provided through an appropriation from the State of Maryland. Additional funding was provided by Bowie State University, DIRECTV and Pfizer, Inc.

Reading The Culture November Member and Staff Book Club
2022-11-06 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Reading The Culture November Members and Staff Book Club
November 6th
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Virtual
Free for members. $15 for Non-members.
What could be better than sharing a good book with some of your closest friends? Join us for the launch of our Reading The Culture Book Club Launch. Our inaugural book will be The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. On November 6th, we’ll gather with a special guest speaker for a facilitated discussion on our book. Individuals who purchase their books at The Lewis Museum Shop will receive a 15% discount on their book. Can’t make it to the museum? Don’t worry. We are proud to partner with Mahogany Books as our official online bookseller for Reading The Culture! To purchase The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, click purchase book
Virtual Registration
Purchase Book
Overview

Reading The Culture November Author Talk - Lawrence T. Brown, PhD, MPA
2022-11-03 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Reading The Culture September Author Talk with Lawrence T. Brown, Ph.D., MPA
Thursday, November 3, 2022 | 6 pm – 7:30 pm ET
Virtual
Free Admission. Registration required. Space is limited.

Noted equity scientist and urban Afrofuturist Lawrence T. Brown, Ph.D., MPA joins for a discussion on his IPPY Book Award-winning best-seller, The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America. The Black Butterfly looks at how American cities can promote racial equity, end redlining, and reverse the damaging health- and wealth-related effects of Segregation.
Register Here

Healing Through Literature: Book Conversation and Creative Writers' Workshop with Marita Golden
2022-10-29 13:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, 21202, United States
Healing Through Literature: Book Conversation and Creative Writer’s Workshop with Marita Golden
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Book Conversation and Signing | 1 pm to 2:30 pm
Creative Writers Workshop | 3 pm to 4:30 pm
In-person
Note: Registration to Creative Writer’s Workshop Registration also includes admission to the Book Talk Conversation with Marita Golden. Contact terry.taylor@lewismuseum.org if you have any questions.
More and more young Black women are re-examining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that change their lives.
– Marita Golden, The Strong Black Woman
The “strong Black woman” trope has often dictated not only how Black women are seen, but also how Black women are pushed to see themselves. Join The Lewis Museum and author and writing coach Marita Golden for a book discussion and workshop exploring how we move beyond the pressure to be “strong Black women,” to develop practices of reflection and care.
The afternoon will begin with a conversation between award-winning author and co-founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, Marita Golden and Dr. Izetta Autumn Mobley. The discussion will focus on reparative pathways of healing utilizing Golden’s two books, Saving Our Sons: Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World and The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women. A book signing will follow.
Then, join Marita Golden for a creative writing workshop designed to use writing as a powerful form of healing and therapy to the soul. In this interactive session, participants will engage in discussion and writing exercises to give voice to their experiences and unspoken emotions. Participants should bring a notepad and pen. Registration is required as space is limited.
Marita Golden is an award-winning novelist and author of more than 19 works of fiction and nonfiction. Her books include The Strong Black Women, After, Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons, and Don’t Play in the Sun. She is a distinguished teacher of writing and the co- founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, an organization that supports African American writers.
Workshop Registration
Conversation Registration

By Any Means Necessary : Film Screening and Discussion
2022-10-18 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
By Any Means Necessary : Film Screening and Discussion
October 18, 2022 | 6pm to 9pm
Free
Spurred on by an organization’s interest in the stories behind those we see every day at our city’s intersections, By Any Means Necessary contextualizes this sector against the history of “hustle” or gig economies in the Black community. It provides interviews with those who participate, allowing for first-person accounts of the “why” behind squeegeeing and presenting the concept that the reasons and the participants are not monolithic. The screening of By Any Means Necessary will be followed by a panel discussion – moderated by Terri Lee Freeman, executive director, The Reginald F. Lewis Museum – with Shauntee Daniels, executive director, the Baltimore National Heritage Area; Jason Bass, Director of Culture and Impact, Hotel Revival; and Baltimore City Deputy Mayor Faith Leach.

Register Here

Reading The Culture October Member and Staff Book Club
2022-10-15 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Reading The Culture October Members and Staff Book Club
October 15th
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Virtual Event
What could be better than sharing a good book with some of your closest friends? Join us for the launch of our Reading The Culture Book Club Launch. Our inaugural book will be The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. On November 6th, we’ll gather with a special guest speaker for a facilitated discussion on our book. Individuals who purchase their books at The Lewis Museum Shop will receive a 15% discount on their book. Can’t make it to the museum? Don’t worry. We are proud to partner with Mahogany Books as our official online bookseller for Reading The Culture! To purchase The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, click purchase book
Register Here
Purchase Book
Overview

Becoming Frederick Douglass Screening & Discussion
2022-10-08 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Becoming Frederick Douglass Screening & Discussion
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
In-Person
Saturday, October 8, 2022
1pm to 3 pm ET
Free with Museum admission. Registration requested.
Join us for a screening and conversation with cast members from Becoming Frederick Douglass. Produced by Maryland Public Television in association with Firelight Films executive producers Oscar®-nominated Stanley Nelson (Attica, Freedom Riders, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution) and Lynne Robinson, Becoming Frederick Douglass is the story of how a man born into slavery became one of the most prominent statesmen and influential voices for democracy in American history. The documentary explores how Douglass controlled his own image and narrative, embracing photography as a tool for social justice, and the role he played in securing the right to freedom and democracy for African Americans.
The film was produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London. Keith M. Brown and Michael English are the executives in charge of production. Becoming Frederick Douglass was written by Anne Seidlitz. Acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce is the voice of Frederick Douglass in the film. Funding for Becoming Frederick Douglass provided by the State of Maryland and Bowie State University, the oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland.
Guest Speakers:

Kenneth B. Morris Jr., Co-Founder & President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives and a direct descendant of Frederick Douglass (appears in film)
Nicole London, Co–Director and Producer of Becoming Frederick Douglass and Co-Director of Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom

Moderator:

Dr. Kaye Whitehead, Host of “Today with Dr. Kaye” on WEAA and founder of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice

Register Here

Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
2022-10-03 17:30 - 20:30 UTC
Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
Monday, October 3rd
Reception – 5:30 pm | Candidate Forum – 6:30 pm
In-Person & Virtual
IN PERSON REGISTRATION AT CAPACITY. THE EVENT WILL BE STREAMED ON FACEBOOK LIVE AND YOUTUBE.
In less than two months, Marylanders will head to the polls to select their next governor. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s mission positions it to serve as a catalyst for sustained change by providing bold conversations that educate and challenge. It is in this spirit that The Lewis Museum, in partnership with Baltimore City NAACP, Baltimore Votes, Black Girls Vote, the Greater Baltimore Urban League, and the League of Women Voters Maryland, will host a Gubernatorial Candidate Forum centering issues impacting Black Marylanders.

Confirmed participants:
David Harding, Working Class Party
David Lashar, Libertarian Party
Wes Moore, Democratic Party
Nancy Wallace, Green Party

Reading The Culture Author Talk - One Maryland One Book Edition
2022-10-02 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Reading The Culture Author Talk – One Maryland One Book Edition – In Person & Virtual
Sunday, October 2, 2022
4 pm – 6 pm ET
Free admission. Registration required.
Join us as we co-host author Naima Coster at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for a conversation on the One Maryland One Book selection What’s Mine and Yours.
What’s Mine and Yours is a multigenerational saga featuring two North Carolina families. They collide in ways that neither is prepared for when Black students from the east side of the county are integrated into the predominantly white schools on the west side. Readers will follow these families over decades as they break apart and come back together. One Maryland One Book is a program of Maryland Humanities.
In-person Registration

Now I Am Alone: Geoffrey Owens Performs Shakespeare's Soliloquies and Monologues
2022-09-25
Now I Am Alone: Geoffrey Owens Performs Shakespeare’s Soliloquies and Monologues
September 25, 2022 | 2:00 PM
In Person | Free | RSVP Required
Shakespeare’s complex creations — men and women, kings and beggars, villains and heroes — stand alone and speak aloud their inmost thoughts. On stage, Mr. Owens recently appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet (with Orlando Bloom). Other credits include Oscar Wilde’s Salome (with Al Pacino), the Chicago premiere of David Mamet’s Race (at the Goodman Theatre), and many others. On film, Mr. Owens has appeared in Stonebrook (with Seth Green), The Paper (directed by Ron Howard), and others. His television credits include “The Cosby Show” and “Boston Legal”, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, “Law and Order”, and others. He has recently been seen as ‘Gerald’ on HBO’s “Divorce” and on episodes of “Blue Bloods” and “Lucifer. In the Lewis Theater. . . An RSVP is necessary for this event. Please arrive 15 minutes before so we can start promptly!
RSVP HERE

Reading The Culture Reading As Resistance Book Fair - In-Person & Virtual Platform
2022-09-24
Reading The Culture Reading As Resistance Book Fair
Presented by

Saturday, September 24, 2022
10 am – 4 pm ET
Free Admission
Hybrid Event
A Lewis Museum favorite returns with a twist! Reading The Culture Reading As Resistance Book Fair will highlight the writings of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and LGBTQ+ authors who are most likely to be banned and censored. Spend a day filled with both in-person and virtual programming featuring children’s authors, young adult literature, and a wide-array of adult fiction and non-fiction. Join us for author talks, signings, storytelling, food, and all things related to a good read. The Reading as Resistance Book Fair is made possible through the generous support of BGE.

Register Here
Virtual Registration

Closed for Men of Change Deinstall
2022-09-12 - 2022-09-19

Reading The Culture September Members and Staff Book Club
2022-09-10 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Reading The Culture September Members and Staff Book Club
September 10th
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Virtual Event
What could be better than sharing a good book with some of your closest friends? Join us for the launch of our Reading The Culture Book Club Launch. Our inaugural book will be The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. On October 15th and November 6th, we’ll gather with a special guest speaker for a facilitated discussion on our book. Individuals who purchase their books at The Lewis Museum Shop will receive a 15% discount on their book. Can’t make it to the museum? Don’t worry. We are proud to partner with Mahogany Books as our official online bookseller for Reading The Culture! To purchase The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, click purchase book.
Register Here
Purchase Book
Overview

Racing Forward: Black Athletes, Activism & Justice - In Person
2022-09-08 18:00 - 21:00 UTC
From baseball player Jackie Robinson, to boxer Muhammad Ali, and football player Colin Kaepernick, Black athletes have historically leveraged their power to advocate for racial and social change. Join the Lewis Museum for a panel discussion with several sports analysts on how these and current Black athletes have taken on the mantle of activism to propel justice in their communities in spite of severe backlash. A cocktail reception and the opportunity to self- tour the Men of Change: Power.Triumph.Truth. exhibition is included with this sports event.
Guest panelists include:

Veteran Journalist Keith Clinkscales and founder of TheShadowLeague.com. Clinkscales served eight years as a senior vice president at ESPN.
Award-winning sports columnist William C.”Bill” Rhoden and editor-at-large with Andscape, a Black media platform dedicated to creating, highlighting, and uplifting the diverse stories of Black identity.
Len Elmore a former ten-year professional basketball player with the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association. Elmore also served as a sports television announcer for ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports/FS1 for 31 years.

Cost: Entry to Event is Free
In case you missed it, watch the Facebook live broadcast below.

This program is in conjunction with the Men of Change: Power.Triumph.Truth. exhibition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

Reading The Culture September Author Talk - Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D.
2022-09-01 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Reading The Culture September Author Talk with Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D.
Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 6 pm – 7:30 pm ET
Virtual
Free Admission. Registration required. Space is limited.

As the Lewis Museum celebrates all things related to reading this fall, we’re excited to host a stellar collection of authors as they provide insight on books that help us learn about, grapple with, and confront the complexities of the issues we face in the world around us. Our September author, Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D., joins us to discuss her book, Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle.
Drawing on oral histories and previously sealed Church records, Subversive Habits provides the first full history of Black Catholic nuns in the United States, hailing them as the forgotten prophets of Catholicism and democracy. Williams shows how Black sisters were pioneering religious leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, desegregation foot soldiers, Black Power activists, and womanist theologians. In the process, Williams calls attention to Catholic women’s religious life as a stronghold of white supremacy and racial segregation—and thus an important battleground in the long African American freedom struggle.
Register Here
Zoom Webinar

The Other Boys of Summer Film Screening and Discussion
2022-08-28
The Other Boys of Summer Film Screening and Discussion
Sunday, August 28 | 2pm – 5pmLeidos Field at Ripken Stadium, 873 Long Drive, Aberdeen, MD
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut in Major League Baseball, officially breaking the color barrier. To honor this moment in history, the Lewis Museum, Hubert V. Simmons Baseball Museum, the Leon Day Foundation, and other community stakeholders will celebrate the Negro League baseball players who helped to forge Robinson’s path with a film screening and discussion of The Other Boys of Summer.
Narrated by Cicely Tyson, The Other Boys of Summer documentary explores racism, segregation, and civil rights through the lives of the Negro League baseball players. Through the lens of America’s favorite pastime, the film preserves the legacy, amplifies diverse voices, and inspires. The Other Boys of Summer features exclusive interviews with the men who played alongside Jackie Robinson and changed baseball and America forever. Following this short film, a panel discussion will follow with guests to include:

Lauren Meyer, Filmmaker and Emmy Nominated Director, The Other Boys of Summer
Pedro Siera and Sam Allen, Former Negro League Baseball players for Indianapolis Clowns, Detroit Stars and Kansas City Monarchs
Rayner “Ray” Banks, Co-Founder to Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball, Inc.
Dr. Bernard McKenna, Associate professor at the University of Delaware and author of The Baltimore Black Sox: A Negro Leagues History, 1913-1936.

Baseball fans will also get the chance to see the Simmons-Days All Stars and other baseball enthusiasts play a little ball while viewing Negro League memorabilia on the last days of summer.
Cost: Entry to the event is free. Transportation to the stadium for a limited number of seat will be available for $10.
Click Here to RSVP
For more information on this outdoor event, please contact terry.taylor@lewismuseum.org.

“The Box” End of Isolation Tour - In Person
2022-08-17 - 2022-08-18
The End of Isolation Tour Presents The BOX – In Person
Wednesday, August 17 & Thursday, August 18
7 pm – 8:30 pm
The End of Isolation Tour (EIT) presents The BOX, a play written by Sarah Shourd, a survivor of solitary confinement, in collaboration with other survivors. The BOX is a play about collective resistance and personal transformation inspired by stories in U.S. prisons collected through years of in-depth letter correspondence and visits with incarcerated people across the country. The BOX is a rare glimpse at the intimate bonds forged in the deep end of our prison system, the ripple effects of systematic torture, and what it means to be human. EIT will bring immersive, transformative theater to communities across the country on the front lines of imagining a world without prison and the torture of solitary confinement. We are more than theater alone. We are a catalyst for building, strengthening, and knitting together communities across the country on the frontlines of ending torture and isolation.
View Trailer Clip of Play Here
PRICING: $20 low-income/high school and college students/seniors, $35 sustainer, $50 uplifter. All proceeds go toward supporting the tour and future performances, so please give what you can.
Click below and “Select a Date” to Purchase Tickets.
Eventbrite

NOTE: A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for formerly-incarcerated and system-impacted people. To request a free ticket, email Seneca (socialmediaintern@gmail.com). Include your full name and the city and date of the performance you would like to attend. Media inquiries are also welcome.
ATTENTION: Please bring your own mask to wear during the performance, N95s are preferred. All of our actors and crew members have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and we ask that audience members come to our show fully vaccinated as well. This venue is equipped with a double-filtered ventilation system. Limited socially-distanced seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
This is an immersive theater experience. Seating assignments are first-come-first-serve. You can opt to sit in close proximity to the actors (but will not be required to participate in the show) or on the sidelines. Be advised that the performance includes profanity, sexual language, and violent content that may not be appropriate for all ages. Should the show trigger you, we have ushers on hand to support you.
Please be in your seat 10 minutes before the performance begins. At that time, any unclaimed seats will be offered for sale to the public.

Sneaker Culture Artist Talk: Akio Evans the Shoe Muralist - 1 pm
2022-08-06
Sneaker Culture Artist Talk: Akio Evans the Shoe Muralist
Saturday, August 6
1 pm
How cool are your sneaks? Meet creative artist and storyteller Akio Evans who uses innovation and fashion to transform sneakers into a new art form. Beginning with creating custom sneaks for The Wire actor, Felicia Pearson (Snoop), Akio’s commissioned sneaker art has been collected by comedian Donnell Rawlings, Dave Chappelle, Dr. Dre, Nick Cannon, Kevin Hart, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Tyronn Lue, Allen Iverson among others. During this artist talk, we will learn about Akio’s journey as a sneaker artist to celebrities, filmmaker and teaching artist to youth in his community.
Free with Museum Admission
Click Here for Tickets
To RSVP only, Contact Visitor Services Desk at 443-263-1875. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

On and Coppin Film Screening and Discussion - In Person - 1pm
2022-07-30
On and Coppin Film Screening (60 minutes) and Discussion
Saturday, July 30
1 pm
On & Coppin chronicles the challenges faced by then head coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell, in his attempt to recruit athletes to a Division I program with no facilities and located on a campus in the midst of crime-ridden West Baltimore, Md. On March 14, 1997 in the face of adversity, Coach Mitchell and his Coppin State Eagles defied the odds and made history in the 1997 NCAA Tournament by becoming only the third No. 15 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed South Carolina in the opening round. Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, who starred in the HBO series “The Wire,” adds her authentic, native Baltimore voice to the narration.
A post discussion will follow with Andscape senior writer Jerry Bembry and his daughter, filmmaker Ashley Bembry-Kaintuck who wrote, directed and produced this film project. Bembry was a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun during the 1990s, the decade Coach Mitchell and his team turned a commuter school into a vibrant program. Ashley is a recent Oscar winner at the 94th Academy Awards for her work as the associate producer on “Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
In conjunction with All On the Court Installation: An Installation by Chrystal Seawood.
Cost: Museum Admission
To Purchase Tickets Online, Click Here
To RSVP only, Contact Visitor Services Desk at 443-263-1875. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

All On the Court Playbook Roundtable Talk: Gender Identity and Inclusion - Virtual Event
2022-07-28
All On the Court Playbook Roundtable Talk: Gender Identity and Inclusion Virtual Event

Thursday, July 28

6:30 pm EST

Through multimedia, All on the Court: An Installation by Chrystal Seawood invites us to consider the intersection of Black masculine identities and spaces of emotional release. In an era in which notions of gender are expanding and challenges are being contested, Seawood invites us to consider what variations of masculinity exist beyond the gender binary. Join the Lewis Museum in conversation on gender identity and inclusion involving media and the sports world. This roundtable discussion will include the following guest panelists:

Ashland Johnson, Esq. is the Founder of Inclusion Playbook. The Inclusion Playbook is a Sports Impact project with the goal of empowering social change agents to transform communities in and through sports. Their primary areas of focus are racial justice, gender equity, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. An attorney, equity and inclusion strategist, and former Division I athlete, Ashland Johnson has over a decade of civil rights experience working with social justice communities, advising sports leaders, and serving in leadership roles in advocacy organizations. She recently authored the groundbreaking report, Play to Win: Improving the Lives of LGBTQ Youth in Sports which provides critical insights and action steps for more inclusive sporting spaces.

Boyd Smith is the curator for the United States Olympics and Paralympic Museum. Smith previously served as curator at the Black Culture Center at Purdue University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from University of North Carolina Pembroke and a master’s degree in electronic time-based art from Purdue University.

Izetta Autumn Mobley, Ph.D., is the Director of Interpretations, Collection & Education at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Dr. Mobley is a scholar, facilitator, and museum educator. Her academic work focuses on public history, material and visual culture, gender, race, medicine, and disability.

In addition to RSVPing below to obtain the GOTO Webinar Link to access this program. You will receive a confirmation with your link.

Click Here

Presented in conjunction with All On the Court: An Installation by Chrystal Seawood.

Digital Program- Reginald F. Lewis Museum Community Oratory Reading of Frederick Douglass', “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” - Noon Airing
2022-07-04 - 2022-07-10
**This virtual program will premier at Noon and be accessible online here (CLICK Douglass Image) or go to our museum’s facebook/IG page for the remainder of the week.**
On July 5, 1852 in Rochester, New York Frederick Douglass memorably declared, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” Delivered two years after the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) and more than a decade before the end of slavery, Douglass’ powerful speech reframed the meaning of patriotism in the face of the brutal institution of slavery. More than 150 years after his profound words, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum commemorates this July 4th by revisiting Douglass’ speech. We’ve gathered the voices of contemporary African Americans living and working in Maryland to share excerpts of Douglass’ speech, “What To the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Spoken word artists, actors, educators, and visual artists re-interpret Douglass’ speech within the museum’s permanent exhibition.
The pre-recorded digital presentation will air at Noon online and on the museum’s facebook page. This recording will be available for continual viewing following the initial airing during the week of the Fourth of July holiday (July 4, 2022 – July 10, 2022).
Click Here to view the speech of “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
RSVP to let us know you are coming.
Reflection Questions – Reflect on this digital reading of “What to Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by answering some of the following questions.

Which portions of Douglass’ speech resonate with you? Why?
Why is Frederick Douglass’ speech so important?
To what extent were the ideals of the Declaration of Independence real for African Americans before the Civil War?
To what extent were Fourth of July celebrations a reflection of American freedom or American hypocrisy before the Civil War?

Social Media Activity – Oratory Challenge

Take on this oratory challenge of recording yourself, family or friends reciting Douglass’ speech of “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Select a passage of Douglass’s speech that resonates with you. Tag us on social media (Twitter, Insta, FB).

Link to “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

Readers:

Arthur Brown: Arthur is the Office Administrator at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Arthur also assists the curatorial team for the DICE department.
Jaylen Palmer: Jaylen is a theater student from Baltimore School of the Arts. An avid actor, he performed in Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s A Christmas Carol in Dec 2021.
Joseph Aly-Forman: Joseph is a rising senior at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of The Citywide Youth Poetry Team for DewMore Baltimore.
Rashieda Witter: Rashieda is the Oral History Project Manager at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Rashieda is also a curator, writer, and photographer currently based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Rodney Dotson: Rodney has personified Frederick Douglass in his younger days for a Summer Camp Series for Living Classrooms.
Ron Goines: Ron is the Development Director for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Ron is a seasoned fundraising professional with more than ten years of development experience.

Juneteenth Celebration: Education as Liberation (In Person)
2022-06-20 11:00 - 16:00 UTC
Commemorate this significant moment in our history with a FREE day at the Lewis Museum focused on “Education as Liberation.” Barbecue lovers can learn about grilling and its significance in Black communities as a Juneteenth tradition with Damian Mosley from Black Sauce Kitchen. Enjoy samples of smoked barbecue biscuit sandwiches and smoked string beans with strawberry lemonade. Sculptor Oletha DeVane will talk with Dr. John Wood about her installation, Memorial to Those Enslaved and Freed, and its connection to the history of the McDonogh Schools’ relationship with enslaved people. There will also be make-and-take activities for youngsters and the young at heart.
Plus, don’t miss the Men of Change: Power.Triumph. Truth. Exhibition where you can learn about Black men as iconic changemakers. Men of Change was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Schedule of Events:

11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm – Juneteenth Make and Take Art Activity
1 pm – BBQ and Black Culture with Chef Damian Mosley
1:45 pm – BBQ Food Tasting
3 pm – Memorial to Those Enslaved and Freed Artist Talk with Oletha Devane and Dr. John Wood

Free museum admission is made possible through to the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Let us know you are coming.
RSVP HERE

Virtual Memorial Day Program: A Day To Remember - 6:30 pm - 8 pm EST
2022-05-23
In 1865, African Americans in South Carolina gathered to pay tribute to Union soldiers buried in a mass grave. Their determination to honor their dead became the very first commemoration of what we now know as Memorial Day. Join us for a panel exploring the history of Memorial Day.
Author Leah Henderson will discuss her research and children’s book, “A Day for Rememberin’,” which tells the story of the first Memorial Day originated by former enslaved Blacks from Charleston, SC. Then we will travel to Maryland to learn about Ellsworth Cemetery, a historic African American cemetery in Carroll County founded by African American Civil War soldiers. Find out about the preservation work to restore graves led by Tom Greul (Knights of Columbus) and researcher Diane Boettcher. The short film, The 30th of May, produced by filmmaker James Theres explores how Black citizens from Natchez, Mississippi and Vidalia, Louisiana have kept the tradition of honoring Black military service since the Civil War to today. This discussion will be moderated by State Archivist and Public Records Administrator Lopez Matthews Jr., Ph.D with the Office of the Secretary/Executive Office of the Mayor District of Columbia Office of Public Records.
To RSVP/REGISTER CLICK HERE. To obtain the Zoom webinar link CLICK HERE
This program begins at 6:30 pm EST.

Educator Wellness Webinar: Healing Through History: Refilling The Cup and Normalizing Self-Care For Educators - Virtual - 6 PM EST
2022-05-16
Research has shown that learning African American history can have a positive impact on one’s well being. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, this webinar will explore African American history through the lens of Mental Health, self-care and wellness. Participants will take a glimpse into the African American past to gain insight on how to work through stress and avoid burnout as educators. Areas of focus will include:

Radical Self-Care and Its Significance
Teaching Amidst A Pandemic, Taxation and Burnout
Healing strategies of the past applicable to educators in 2022
The Mental Health benefits of learning African American history and much more…

This session will be facilitated by Marcus Sankofa Nicks, M.A. who holds a Masters Degree in African American Studies from Morgan State University of Baltimore, MD. He has worked in Maryland’s Howard County Public School System for over 12 years focusing his efforts on eliminating the achievement gap for Black/African American students as a liaison for the Black Student Achievement Program. His community work extends from Howard County, Baltimore City and beyond where he has also served as a lead facilitator for Black affinity groups and healing spaces for Black/African American individuals and families from a culturally based standpoint.
To RSVP/Register CLICK HERE. Register to learn more and to see how! To obtain the Zoom link CLICK HERE.
This program is scheduled for 6 pm – 8 pm EST.

Dance Performance: “In the Company of Men…Hope Chronicles” - In Person - 2 pm to 3 pm
2022-04-30
Enjoy a curated interpretative dance experience in response and relation to the Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth exhibition featuring Vincent E. Thomas and the new ensemble, VTDance ll. This male ensemble performance will consist of several dance vignettes in the Men of Change exhibit halls the first half hour and a culminating performance in the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s Theater.
Vincent E. Thomas founded VTDance as an outlet for performance projects including solo, group, and collaborative choreographic endeavors. VTDance is multi-dimensional building on the use of contemporary dance, improvisation, text / movement, a variety of sound sources, and collaborations with other artists. These ideas coupled with witty, poignant, athletic and gestural movement are the rich palette for VTDance. Vincent works in and with communities with a variety of workshops, Table Talks, master classes, and community engagement activities. His choreography has been presented at various national and international venues including DUMBO Festival (NY), Velocity Festival (DC), Modern Moves Festival (DC), Philly Fringe (PA), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (UK-Scotland), Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, Avignon, France, Athens, Greece, Bari, Italy, Copenhagen, Denmark, Nova Scotia, Canada and Taipei, Taiwan.

Cost: Free with Museum Admission. To Purchase Tickets CLICK HERE. Tickets can also be purchased at the Visitor Services Front Desk. To RSVP without payment, register by calling Visitor Service at 443-263-1875. This program begins at 2 pm.

Presented in conjunction with Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.
Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

Museum Closed - Sunday, April 17, 2022
2022-04-17
The Reginlald F. Lewis Museum is closed on Sunday, April 17, 2022 from Noon to 5 pm. The museum will re-open on Monday, April 18, 2022 beginning at 10 am.

Health & Wellness Workshop: Black Masculinity Reimagined - Virtual Event - 6:00 PM EST
2022-04-13
Join the Reginald F. Lewis Museum and Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) in an education wellness workshop reimaging Black masculinity for Black men, boys, and masculine individuals. Black Masculinity Reimagined is a community-building initiative that addresses the intersection of male socialization, mental health, and community violence. This workshop will:

Identify and apply skills to address the link between toxic masculinity, male privilege, mental health, and sexual and domestic violence.
Model and produce behaviors that promote masculine expressions that support gender equality, affirm the dignity of trans/queer communities, and support the full emotional humanity of men and masculine folks.
Build accountable communities and networks with men and masculine-identified individuals that reinforce anti-sexist, anti-transphobic, and anti-patriarchal beliefs and behaviors.

This program is in partnership with the Black Mental Health Alliance.

This workshop is open to all participants. To Register, Click Here
To access the workshop click the zoom link button below.
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Presented in conjunction with Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.
Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

Book Talk with Miles Marshall Lewis: Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar - In Person - 2pm
2022-04-09
Kendrick Lamar is one of the most influential rappers, songwriters, and record producers of his generation. Widely known for his lyrics and powerful music, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Join pop culture critic and music journalist Miles Marshall Lewis as he explores Kendrick Lamar’s life, his roots, his music, his lyrics, and how he has shaped the musical landscape with his new book, In Promise That You Will Sing About Me. This book conversation will be moderated by Farajii Muhammad, host of “The Culture” on The Black Star Network. Mr. Lewis’ book will be available for purchase at this event.
Miles Marshall Lewis is a recognized pop culture critic, essayist, literary editor, fiction writer, and music journalist. Over the past 25 years, Lewis has written for The New York Times, GQ, The Huffington Post, The Nation, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The Believer, Essence, EBONY, NPR, Salon, Afropunk, and many other publications. He served as the arts and culture editor of EBONY, music editor of Vibe, deputy editor of XXL, literary editor of Russell Simmons’s Oneworld, deputy editor of BET digital, and a contributing writer for The Source.
Cost: Free with Museum Admission. To Purchase Tickets CLICK HERE. Tickets can also be purchased at the Visitor Services Front Desk. To RSVP without payment, register by calling Visitor Service at 443-263-1875.

Presented in conjunction with Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.
Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

Doing Oral History in Baltimore: A Series of Three Public Workshops- In Person
2022-04-09
Doing Oral History in Baltimore: A Series of Three Public Workshops – 10:30 am

Doing Oral History will support individuals and institutions in recording, archiving, and interpreting under-documented histories in Baltimore, with a focus on the city’s Black history. Baltimore is a majority Black city with a significant African American history, yet what has been preserved and valorized has too often ignored Black voices. There is an urgent need to document these stories and incorporate them into more comprehensive narratives about our city.
The workshops, which feature a keynote by Kelly E. Navies, Museum Specialist in Oral History at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, will be led by local curators, archivists, representatives of Inheritance Baltimore, and participants of Baltimore Speaks, a network of local oral historians. Attendees will gain a working knowledge of oral history: a field of study and a method of recording, preserving, and interpreting people’s experiences of the past through the prism of the present. Space will be limited to 35 participants for each workshop.
***We are at capacity registration for the oral history workshops. Register below if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

Please register here to join the waitlist.

This series is being offered at no charge thanks to support from an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant administered by Inheritance Baltimore, the contributed labor of our core planning group, and the donated time of our workshop leaders. Participants who complete all three workshops will receive a certificate recognizing their time and labor.

April 2: Why Oral History Matters and Project Planning
Oral history as a social justice project, project design, ethical and legal issues.
Saturday, April 2, 10:30 am-1:30 pm
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
830 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Workshop Facilitators

Hosted by: Angela Koukoui, Co-Director of JHU/UB Community Archives Program, University of Baltimore
Kelly E. Navies, Museum Specialist in Oral History at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Tonika Berkley, Co-Director of JHU/UB Community Archives Program, Johns Hopkins University
Debra Elfenbein, Special Collections Librarian, Enoch Pratt Free Library

April 9: The Art and Craft of Interviewing
Doing an interview–before, during, and after.
Saturday, April 9, 10:30 am-1:30 pm
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
830 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Workshop facilitators:

Linda Shopes, Independent Oral Historian, Baltimore Speaks
Bria Warren, Inheritance Baltimore, Baltimore Speaks

April 23: Transcribing, Archiving, and Mobilizing Oral History
Archival practices, exhibitions, publications, and community organizing.
Saturday, April 23, 10:30 am-1:30 pm
Eubie Blake Cultural Center
847 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Workshop Facilitators:

Aiden Faust, Associate Director of Special Collections and Archives, University of Baltimore
Catherine Mayfield, Maryland Center for History and Culture, Baltimore Speaks
Joseph Plaster, Inheritance Baltimore, Tabb Center
Panel facilitated by Sheri Parks, MICA’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives:

Megan McShea, Independent Audiovisual Archivist
Daisy Brown, The Peale’s Storytelling Ambassador
Jodi Hoover, Digital Resources Manager, Digital Maryland
Maria Day, Director, Special Collections & Conservation, Maryland State Archives

Doing Oral History Core Planning Group:

Tonika Berkley, Sheridan Library, Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts
Angela Koukoui, University of Baltimore, Baltimore Speaks
Catherine Mayfield, H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Maryland Center for History and Culture, Baltimore Speaks
Deyane Moses, MICA and AFRO Charities, Baltimore Speaks
Joseph Plaster, Inheritance Baltimore, Tabb Center
Linda Shopes, Independent Oral Historian, Baltimore Speaks
Bria Warren, Sheridan Library, Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, Baltimore Speaks

Institutional Partners:

Baltimore Speaks
Inheritance Baltimore
Maryland Center for History and Culture
The Winston Tabb Special Collections Research Center
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Eubie Blake Cultural Center
University of Baltimore Special Collections
Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts
