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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.
Commissioners and staff at the 2023 Commission Retreat at Morgan State University.
MCAAHC JUNE 2025 PUBLIC MEETING
MONDAY, JUNE 2
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Josiah Henson Museum and Park
11410 Old Georgetown Rd, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Hosted by: Chair Maya Davis & Commissioner Robert Patterson, both representing Prince George’s County
Join us for the upcoming June 2025 MCAAHC Public Meeting! Learn about upcoming commission initiatives, and hear from engaging speakers in the heritage and preservation community.
The African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Grant Cycle FY26
Registration is now open for the FY 2026 African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) Webinars & In-Person Workshops
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.
- 3/24/2025: 1:00 PM | Virtual
- 4/11/2025: 11:00 AM | Harwood Nature Center at Lawrence Preserve, Chestertown
- 4/25/2025: 1:00 PM | Virtual
- 5/9/2025: 1:00 PM | Virtual
- 6/6/2025: 10:30 AM | Banneker Douglass Tubman Museum, Annapolis
The Pendulum is Back!
The Spring 2025 Edition is Now Out
Check out the Spring 2025 edition of The Pendulum, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture’s quarterly newsletter. This issue’s featured stories include:
- 🚢 “African Americans at the Point – Part 2” about Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point shipyards
- 👑 Blanche Calloway: Jazz Trailblazer
- 🔆 Commissioner Spotlights & AAHPP Grantee Spotlight on the Havre de Grace Colored School Musuem
- ☑️ A Call to Action
- 🔊 Community events from April to June to attend
- 🗞️the latest news about the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, and more!
The Pendulum is edited by the Historical Search, Preservation, and Publications Committee of the MCAAHC.
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.
SACRED SPACES EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION AT THE BANNEKER-DOUGLASS-TUBMAN MUSEUM
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
BANNEKER-DOUGLASS-TUBMAN MUSEUM
84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Join us for the opening reception of “Sacred Spaces,” an art and augmented reality exhibition featuring artwork by artist Jabari Jefferson, that explores the spiritual and cultural contributions of the African American community.
In celebration of Black History Month, this program is presented by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, and will include an artist & curator talk, “Meet Me In the Gallery” sessions, Farafina Kan West African Drum and Dance Company, and more!
New MCAAHC Leadership for FY25 Announced
The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) is pleased to announce the newly elected leadership of Chair Maya Davis and Vice Chair Dr. Kali-Ahset Amen effective July 1, 2024.
MCAAHC Statewide Book Drive 2024-2025
Now in its second 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 now through June 2025.
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.
Engaging with Descendant African American Communities
We are looking for workshop leaders, potential descendants, and volunteers–particularly youth!
Saturday, November 9, 2024
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Mt. Calvery United Methodist Church
1236 Jones Station Road
Arnold, Maryland 21012
RSVP: bit.ly/Nov9MtgRSVP
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
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.
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.
Upcoming Meetings
Date: Monday, June 2, 2025
FY25 Public Meeting Schedule
- August 5, 2024
- October 7, 2024
- December 2, 2024
- February 3, 2025
- April 7, 2025
- June 2, 2025
Click here for Public Meeting agendas, minutes, and video recordings.