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Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

Upcoming Meeting

Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture Public Meeting
Thursday, 12 April 2012
10:00 a.m.
Location: T.B.A.
Open to the public.
Registration encouraged.
To register or be added to the agenda, contact LeRonn Herbert at 410.216.6187 or email lherbert@goci.state.md.us.

The mission of the MD Commission on African American History and Culture is to discover, document, preserve, collect, and promote 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 and impact of the African American experience in Maryland.

MCAAHC Official Website

Click here to visit the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture's official website, www.africanamerican.maryland.gov.

Background

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture originated in 1969 as the Maryland Commission on Negro History and Culture. In 1971, it was assigned to Morgan State College by Executive Order. Under the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Commission was renamed in 1974 as the Commission on Afro-American and Indian History and Culture and was renamed the Commission on Afro-American History and Culture in 1976. It became part of the Department of Housing and Community Development in 1987 and was redesignated as the Commission on African American History and Culture in 1992. In 2005, the Commission became part of the Maryland Department of Planning. On July 1, 2008, the Commission became a part of the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives.

African American Heritage Preservation Program Grants

The African American Heritage Preservation Grant Program is administered as a joint partnership of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) and the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT).

The program provides support for the acquisition, construction, and capital improvement buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. This competitive program, offered once per year, is supported through an annual appropriation from the Maryland General Assembly. The amount available for award is not known until the General Assembly adopts the State budget in early April.

Click here for the press release announcing the African American Heritage Preservation Grant Program. Adobe Acrobat document

Click here for more information including eligibility requirements, application process, and timelines.

Click here for more information on available grants from the Maryland Historical Trust.

Duties of the Commission

Statutory duties of the Commission include:

initiating, directing, and coordinating projects that further the understanding of African American history and culture;

surveying historic buildings, sites, artifacts, archives, and repositories, and publishing and disseminating the results;

planning, coordinating, and implementing the State's annual official observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday;

receiving and administering any available federal or private money to plan and execute commemorative and educational activities in connection with the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday;

operating the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis to house and display photographs, objects, oral history tapes, artifacts, and other materials of African American historic and cultural significance;

locating, preserving, and disseminating to the public information about significant buildings and sites relating to African American history and culture; and

publishing an annual report and any other material that the Commission considers necessary.

Members of the Commission

The Commission consists of thirteen members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for terms of 4 years each. Appointees represent the entire Maryland community and are required to have a knowledge of African American culture and history, to be sensitive to the problems of minority communities, and to be connected with agencies working to integrate minority history and culture into the history of Maryland and our American culture. The Commissioners elect annually a chairman and vice-chairman from among the members of the Commission.

Commissioners currently include:

Theodore H. Mack, Chairman, (2007-2011; 2011-2015)
Cheryl Janifer LaRoche, Ph.D., Vice-Chair (2007-2011; 2011-2015)

Kelsey Bush, (2009-2013)
Dr. Charles M. Christian, (2009-2013)
Veronica Coates, (2008-2012)
Najah Duvall-Gabriel, (2011-2015)
Dale Glenwood Green, (2011-2015)
Michael G. Kent, (2011-2014)
Lyndra Marshall (nee Pratt), (2011-2013)
Michael G. Miller, (2009-2013)
Barbara J. Mobarak, (2011-2013)
Evan Richardson, (2008-2012)
Dr. Clara Small, (2011-2014)

For More Information

For more information about the work of the Commission, contact Director Dr. Joni Jones at 410-216-6180. The Commission may also be reached c/o Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Additional Resources

• MCAAHC Annual Report for 2010 Adobe Acrobat document

Last updated: February 10, 2012