Governor’s Office On Community Initiatives Receives $50,000 Grant To Preserve, Protect African American Artifacts Inside State’s Banneker-Douglass Museum

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The Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives received a $50,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to “strengthen African American history and culture” inside the state’s Banneker-Douglass Museum. This grant supports the capacity-building of African American museums and the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums. A total of $2.2 million in funds has been awarded to 14 grantees.

“This grant will allow us to protect and preserve many of the pieces of Maryland’s African American heritage and historic artifacts by providing crucial upgrades to the storage facilities at the museum,” said Schillica Howard, Curator of Collections for the Banneker-Douglass Museum. “Our hope is that all Marylanders and future generations will engage with their own history, and this grant paves the way for this important cause.”

The Banneker-Douglass Museum is home to more than 12,000 historic objects, exhibition spaces, and an archives library. These upgrades will allow the museum to properly store and preserve important pieces of Maryland’s African American history, primarily its Fine Art and African Art Collections. To learn more about the museum’s collections visit our online collections archive.

“The Banneker-Douglass Museum was selected as a recipient of this federal investment because of our strong commitment to preserving African American heritage and thanks to Governor Hogan, Lt. Governor Rutherford, commissioners, and staff who support our mission,” said Chanel Compton, Executive Director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum. “We are dedicated to building the capacity of the museum to better serve as a community- and education-based resource that authentically preserves and empowers the future of African American history in Maryland.”

To view the IMLS FY2019 Museum Grants for African American History and Culture applicant webinar, click here. For more information on IMLS, please visit them online at IMLS.gov.