As February ushers in Black History Month, Maryland is taking significant steps to ensure the preservation of its rich African American heritage. Governor Wes Moore has announced a $5 million investment in African American Heritage Preservation Grants, a joint effort with the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland Historical Trust.
Governor Moore’s administration is committed to keeping these stories alive. How can you really understand American life and democracy if you don’t learn and understand Black history? says historian Chanel Compton Johnson, Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.
Honoring Trailblazers, Known and Unknown
Maryland has long been home to influential Black leaders like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, but Johnson emphasizes the importance of preserving the stories of lesser-known community heroes. These grants will help safeguard their legacies and ensure their contributions are not lost to time.
Funding to Preserve Historic Sites
A total of 31 organizations across Maryland will receive funding for restoration and preservation projects. Among the recipients:
Tyree African Methodist Episcopal Church in Berlin“ Awarded $250,000 for structural repairs, including work on the foundation and original bell tower.
Freetown Education, Research, and Cultural Museum in Snow Hill – Granted $250,000 to rehabilitate a building that will serve as its future home.
Governor Moore expressed his gratitude to the recipients for their dedication to memorializing Black history, emphasizing that these stories are essential to understanding the full American narrative.
This investment ensures that Marylandâ’s African American heritage remains a living, accessible part of the state’s cultural identity for generations to come.