Who We Are
Annual Reports & Financials
20
23
How do you describe Blackness? Is it a physical characteristic, a state of mind, a way of being, all of the above or a description of diversity? At The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum), we believe it is both/and. We try to present diverse exhibits, programs, and community events that are interesting and can have an impact on our visitors. We hope to exchange information between our organization and our guests, incorporating the information we’ve received into future programming opportunities.
The first half of fiscal year 2023 began with the theme Reading the Culture looking at the term reading both literally and in the figurative sense as it is used in contemporary culture. From our exhibit Reading Douglass which provided visitors with a look into the mind, thoughts, and readings of Frederick Douglass; to our Fall Book Festival which targeted children, youth and adults and encouraged them to read and imagine; to our discussion of Black Athletes, Activism and Justice. The second half of the year allowed our guests to imagine the future through our theme Black Futures, Black Imaginings. Our interactive Imaginarium exhibit engaged our guests in the design of the future for Black people in their respective communities. We connected the afro-futurists of the past – like Harriet Tubman – to more contemporary figures like Sun Ra and Octavia Butler. The multisensory exhibit Afro-Futurist Manifesto: Blackness Reimagined represented the concept through outstanding works of art first shown at the 2022 Venice Biennale and through music which crossed over from the present to the future.
However, The Lewis Museum is more than exhibits and objects. We seek to be relevant to the times. This year we demonstrated our relevance through our involvement in the Baltimore City Squeegee Collaborative, participating in the weekly meetings and presenting a screening of “By Any Means Necessary,” a documentary produced by Baltimore National Heritage Area on the history of the squeegee economy through the words and experiences of those who are part of the industry. A discussion between the community, city officials and the young men and women who are a part of the industry followed the screening.
We hosted a gubernatorial forum and honored the accomplishments of Maryland’s pioneering African American women during Women’s History Month. Then we stepped Into Utopia at our annual gala, where we celebrated a year of achievement and some of Maryland’s finest sons and daughters.
All of this activity, in a year when Maryland elected the first Black governor in its history, demonstrates the excellence and diversity of experience that make up the shades of blackness in our great state. We are Maryland. We are The Lewis Museum!
2022
We have also had to recognize the impact that COVID-19 has had on public behavior and our institution to determine necessary steps to increase our visibility and visitorship. While we’ve seen a decrease in formal school field trips, we’ve had increasing requests for teacher training partnerships. We also recognize the increased importance of effectively promoting the museum’s brand and cultivating stakeholder relationships. For this reason, we created a new department of External Relations to leverage marketing opportunities and to engage with state and local government; local grassroots organizations; universities and cultural organizations; and of course, the business community.
Many of these external relationships have proven fruitful. We were grateful to receive a capital grant of $4.5 million from the State of Maryland to jumpstart our capital improvement campaign to renovate our permanent history exhibit. Additionally, Sen. Chris Van Hollen spearheaded our receiving a $650,000 appropriation to add an exhibit and memorial explaining the history of lynching in Maryland and honoring the victims of these extrajudicial crimes.
We ended our year with the development of a five-year strategic plan, approved by the board and submitted to the state. We are proud that the museum is committing to five strategic imperatives that point the institution in the direction of overall sustainability: Organizational Cohesion and Effectiveness, Brand Clarity, Community Involvement, Supporting Educational Excellence, and Fiscal Vision and Stewardship
We’ve celebrated African American men, commemorated the second year of our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, and demonstrated how archives are used to define history. We’ve welcomed thousands of visitors from within and outside of the state. We hope each of you reading this report will add to that number and visit the museum to learn more about Maryland history through the eyes of African Americans.
2021
Fiscal Year 2021 marked the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The grim occasion provided an opportunity to partner with community organizations to evaluate the progress made against the statements of commitment toward honoring Black lives, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Lewis Museum also partnered with the Baltimore Police Department to provide training classes to cadets before they are assigned to the street. The training educated the cadets about the ugly history of policing the Black communities and the impact it has had on community relations. Additional programs included an event to commemorate and educate participants about the tragedy of the Tulsa Massacre and a celebration of the first federal Juneteenth holiday.
As COVID-19 continued to take a heavy toll on Black and Brown communities, the Lewis Museum was privileged to join its partner, Kaiser Permanente, in hosting the second annual African Americans in Health Care Awards. This year featured UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski interviewing UMBC alumna, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a viral immunologist at the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center. Dr. Corbett provided plain talk about the safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines and the extensive work that had been done on the vaccine prior to the pandemic.
Despite the challenges this year brought, the Lewis Museum has continued to provide cultural enrichment through public programming, partnerships, and outstanding exhibitions for Marylanders and all other visitors. This annual report summarizes the work of a dedicated staff and board in a year that presented several roadblocks and numerous opportunities. The Lewis Museum thanks you for your support in 2021 looks forward to seeing you in 2022 and beyond.
2020
While our doors were closed for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, we continued to share our permanent collection and 11,000 artifacts. As the authentic voice of Maryland African American History, we utilized our online platforms to provide education programs for students, training for teachers and public programming addressing Issues from slavery to the current struggle for racial equality, both locally and nationally.
Our signature exhibit, Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist, was recognized as best exhibit of the year in the state. Ms. Catlett considered one of the most important African American artists of the 20th century, used art to support issues that mattered to her, including freedom, racial equality and feminism. The exhibit also commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Women’s suffrage movement in the United States. Thanks to supporters from Maryland and the northeast region who loaned their paintings and sculptures, the Museum did not incur a leasing fee for the exhibit.
From youth summits to opportunities to unravel family DNA, the Lewis provided discussions, programs and activities to educate, inform and entertain visitors. Our board is committed to continually moving the museum forward, sharing our amazing history and our 87,000 square feet of space as a safe place for learning and experiencing our past, present and future.
2019
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum documents, interprets and preserves the complex experiences, contributions and culture of Black people. We serve as a catalyst for sustained change by providing programs and exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge.
The New Mission of The Reginald F. Lewis Museum
of Maryland African American History and Culture