Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

06/12/2026

Experience The Temple of Our Survival by acclaimed Pittsburgh-based artist Alisha B. Wormsley as part of our current exhibit “She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory.”

This immersive installation transforms our gallery into a sacred space for reflection, storytelling, rest, and collective care. Quilted with African and African American textile language and filled with hand-printed fabrics, woven rugs, plant medicine, ancestral imagery, and tools for rest, crafting, and ritual, The Temple of Our Survival honors generations of Black femme care, adaptation, and spiritual practice. Over the years, the Temple has traveled to culturally and ancestrally significant sites across Pittsburgh, Syracuse, St. Louis, Oakland, Truth or Consequences, and now Annapolis as a place to gather, exchange knowledge, and document lessons in survival rooted in land, memory, and community.

Join us on Saturday, June 13 at 1pm for a special performance and conversation with artists Alisha B. Wormsley, Tsedaye Makonnen, and harpist Megan-Joie Coleman, connecting ancestral wisdom, contemporary artistic practice, and visions of Black futures.

Register here: https://bit.ly/WormsleyInstallationPerformanceConversation

Photos: Installation of The Temple of Our Survival in Verda Welcome Hall, the historic wing of BDTM.

06/11/2026

📣 Proposals are now being accepted for "Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life," a symposium convening scholars, artists, and cultural workers in dialogue on African American art, archives, memory, and historical documentation.

Held October 1–3, 2026 at Bowie State University, with opening programming at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.

🗓️ Submit abstracts for presentation by July 10, 2026.

Submit here: https://bit.ly/CallForProposalsAestheticInheritanceSymposium

This symposium is presented in partnership by Bowie State University, Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture and Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.

06/10/2026

We are incredibly proud to share that our very own LeRonn Herbert, Administrative Manager, will be honored this Saturday, June 13th, as one of the Caucus of African American Leaders' 100 Men of Distinction! 🎉

This recognition is a testament to LeRonn's dedication and commitment to excellence — both in our office and in the community. We celebrate you, LeRonn! 👏🏾

Carl Snowden

Caucus of African American Leaders to Honor 100 Men of Distinction During Awards Program in Annapolis

For tickets, visit: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/100-men-of-distinction-award-program

For the full story, visit: https://www.reportannapolis.com/2026/06/caucus-of-african-american-leaders-to.html

06/10/2026

🎨 In celebration of Annapolis Arts Week and , join us at BDTM for two exciting events:

🚶🏿‍♀️BOUNCE Annapolis Gallery Art Walk
🗓️ Thursday, June 11, 5-8 PM
📍 Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum
Link to register: https://bit.ly/BDTMArtWalkJune2026

BDTM opens its doors for an exclusive evening event, inviting visitors to experience its rich collections and exhibits after hours. Throughout the evening, guests can explore the galleries of Annapolis and visit BDTM to uncover stories of Maryland's African American history and culture.

🛕 The Temple of Our Survival: Alisha B. Wormsley Installation, Performance & Conversation
🗓️ Saturday, June 13, 1-4 PM
📍 Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum
Link to register: https://bit.ly/WormsleyInstallationPerformanceConversation

As the nation marks 250 years since its founding, we are called to ask: whose survival made this nation possible? Join artist Alisha B. Wormsley for a special activation of The Temple of Our Survival (Children of NAN: A Survival Guide), a mobile cinematic altar and gathering space dedicated to Black femme survival, care, and reMatriation. Presented in collaboration with artist Tsedaye Makonnen and harpist Megan-Joie Coleman, this immersive event brings together ritual, sound, and collective storytelling as an act of historical reckoning and remembrance.

The program will feature a live ritual performance honoring Black femme survival, including a guided group dreaming meditation and opportunities for audience members to participate by reading their own survival stories alongside those of historical Black femmes from Maryland and beyond, centering voices that the official record of nationhood too often left out.

The event will conclude with a panel conversation on the project and the ongoing practices of Black femme survival, moderated by curator Martina Dodd, exploring what it means to commemorate 250 years through the lens of those who were never meant to survive it, and did.

The event will then feature a special cyanotype art workshop led by Khaleelah I. L. Harris, a featured artist with 'She Speaks', where attendees can create their own sun-printed masterpieces. No prior art experience is needed; Harris will guide each attendee through every step, making the process as meditative as it is hands-on. There is limited workshop space capacity so registration is strongly encouraged.

Also throughout the day, DJ Muse will provide an ambient set, with tunes flowing through the halls of the museum.

A big thank you to our sponsors of this event: City of Annapolis and Association of African American Museums (AAAM)

06/10/2026

BDTM Celebrates International Archives Day | June 9 📷

How are Black women’s lives documented and remembered?
Archives can be powerful witnesses to individual and collective histories. They can also serve as tools of oppression and erasure when shaped by human biases. For centuries, official U.S. archives greatly ignored the perspectives, achievements, and enduring legacies of African Americans, especially Black women. A great debt is owed to the Black women who have worked in archival spaces–both official and unofficial–to champion, protect, and care for their foremothers’ stories.
This mural features archival photographs of Black women from the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum’s collection alongside photographs of the family matriarchs of selected exhibiting artists and museum staff. We extend our appreciation to the Maryland State Archives for their preservation and digitization efforts in support of this project.

View the "Maternal Memory Mural" and experience 'She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory' on view through January 16, 2027.

Photos:
1. Visitors observed the "Maternal Memory Mural" as part to the 'She Speaks' Exhibition
2. Untitled (Cabinet card photograph of a female member of a Maryland family), c. 1890Queen/Booth Photo Collection, Gift of Dana Neal Smallwood, 1990.2.1
3.Untitled (Sitter Unidentified), c. 1880
Nesbitt Collection, Gift of Mildred A. Nesbitt, 1986.1.76.11.
4. Untitled (Sitter Unidentified), date unknown Abigale Cook Bible Photo Collection, FIC2026.2.4

06/09/2026

Learn more about the MCAAHC Statewide Book Drive 📚

Now in its third year, the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture (MCAAHC) invites Marylanders to contribute to a statewide book drive. Donations of new or gently used books that align with the MCAAHC mission are welcomed at designated collection sites across the state through June 2026. The MCAAHC remains committed to serving as a voice and venue against marginalization, false narratives, book banning, and other systemic practices that suppress, distort, or misrepresent the history of African Americans in Maryland.

📖 How to Donate: Please contact your respective local public library staff for more information regarding donation sites near you. You can also host a book drive and giveaway within your own community!

📖 Learn more: https://africanamerican.maryland.gov/book-drive/

06/05/2026

Our exhibition 'She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory' has something for everyone, featuring several interactive components curated to inform and inspire. From Charlyn Griffith-Oro's "Dial-An-Ancestor" experience to a series of prompts designed to engage your perspective, experience, and future outlook, 'She Speaks' requests your participation specifically through the following prompt: Name a Black woman who deserves to be remembered.

BDTM staff and several featured artists have named and shared images of Black women who deserve to be remembered. We invite you to join us by naming and sharing a photo of a Black woman who deserves to be remembered in the comments using our hashtag .

Experience 'She Speaks' on view through January 16, 2027.