JOURNEYS O CTO B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 014
R e g i n a l d F. L e w i s M u s e u m Q u a r t e r l y N e w s m a g a z i n e
Dear Friend, What a time for African Americans to stand proud. This fall is the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation, finally declaring an end to slavery in our state. What would a celebration be without its guests? So, we’re inviting you to meet renowned photo historian Dr. Deborah Willis on Maryland Emancipation Day (see page 16). The Guggenheim Fellow will present photographs - some rarely before seen - from the Antebellum to New Deal eras. Not only do they offer rare glimpses into the lives of African Americans of the time, but the images are also testament to the qualities of pride and unending courage. Later that evening, our Maryland Emancipation Day festivities culminate in our 2014 Museum Gala. This year we honor Howard “Pete” Rawlings, without whom the museum would not exist. Our special awardee is Paulette Brown, the first female African American president-elect of the American Bar Association. You’re invited to meet other heroes through our exhibition Struggle: Portraits of Civil Rights and Black Power. The show is on view October 1, 2014 to January 19, 2015 and intentionally spans the 50th anniversary years of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Before saying goodbye to 2014, we close out the year with our annual Kwanzaa Celebration full of music, dance, and harambee (see page 18). I hope you enjoy this issue, and I look forward to seeing you to the museum soon. Sincerely,
Dr. A. Skipp Sanders, Executive Director
2
Cover image: Sankofa Dance Theater at our Kwanzaa Celebration.
ENVISIONING
EMANCIPATION
Photographs like this one offer insight into the Emancipation period and beyond. Unidentified woman, believed to be Sarah McGill Russwurm. Photo: Augustus Washington,1854. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
“It started with a conversation,� Dr. Deborah Willis begins in her celebrated book, co-written with Barbara Krauthamer, Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery. The authors wanted to envision the history of emancipation not just through text, but through historical photographs. They set out to tell the visual story of the period before, during, and after emancipation and its effect on African Americans.
3
Whole family at the Hermitage, Savannah, GA. Photographer unknown; published by Detroit Publishing Co., 1907. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
The book contains rarely-before seen images from the Antebellum period to the 1930s. The photographs are further evidence of the active involvement of black people fighting for their own freedom. One image captures women carrying their children and leaving behind places of enslavement. The women are fashionably dressed. Not only is their self-pride evident, but also their determination that their children not experience a life of bondage. Underscoring this point, Krauthamer notes one particular photograph of a beautiful woman wearing an ornate hat and jewelry. The archives suggest she was a house servant, “but that’s not how she sees herself. She’s so dignified, glamorous, and sophisticated.” 4
The co-authors also note the large number of small children found in the photographic record. The images show young people engaged as enslaved labor, holding white children as little more than young children themselves. Abolitionists seized upon such images to show slavery’s brutality and cruelty. Meanwhile, photography was also a tool for defenders of the practice. Slave owners photographed enslaved people not only as a status symbol, but also to perpetuate the notion of the “benevolent slave owner.” After the abolition of slavery, African Americans eagerly
Formerly enslaved man holding the horn with which slaves were called. Photo: Russell Lee, 1939. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
commissioned portraits. Getting one’s photo taken was relatively affordable, and thus accessible to a wide swath of Americans. For those who were newly freed, there was a desire to preserve and create a history of their survival and freedom. Before emancipation, women were pictured holding slave masters’ children. After emancipation, women are seen posing with their own families, with grandchildren on their laps. While history is often told from one perspective, “We were interested in using collective memory” to document the era, says Dr. Willis, because emancipation was “a
collective experience.” Individuals can preserve their own family history at the Digital Diaspora Family Reunion (http://1world1family.me) where it is possible to upload photographs and family stories, as well as learn about the roadshow and film. Dr. Deborah Willis speaks on Maryland Emancipation Day, November 1, 2014, 1pm about Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery. The book won the NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Literary Work, Non-Fiction, 2014.
5
HIP HOP
for
GOOD
It’s the end of a long day for hip hop sensation Logic. The Maryland native and internationally-acclaimed artist has just finished a show at the University of Maryland-College Park and is now greeting every fan who approaches. Every last one. That’s when journalist Jimmie Thomas, who was shadowing Logic at the time, gained a new understanding of work ethic. He also knew that he had chosen the right individual to feature in his documentary about hip hop. Thomas and his partner Jermaine Fletcher are on a mission to bring back a positive image to the musical style. The result is the documentary Curators of Hip Hop: A Story of Independence screening October 4, 2014 at the museum. For three and half years, Thomas and Fletcher followed five individuals, including Logic. While hip hop is the film’s focus, it is ultimately about “following your dreams and not wavering from them,” says Thomas. Eliminating “any space of doubt,” Fletcher adds. Where hip hop has failed, according to Thomas, is record labels’ de facto promotion of violence and drugs through music. By changing the face of hip hop, “we can change a whole demographic and community,” rallies Thomas. The documentary focuses specifically on “the grind,” as Thomas calls it, because too often, mainstream media dwells on rappers’ material success, and rarely on situations like being “nearly homeless and what it took to record that first song, how long it took them to get to the level where they’re at.” Few know about the artist Ahmad’s upbringing in a poor community, for example, and that he went on to attend Stanford University. Ahmad achieved a gold single at 6
“Our documentary is about following your dreams and not wavering,” says co-director Jimmie Thomas (left) with his co-director Jermaine Fletcher (right).
17. The sudden stardom was difficult for the teen because “he didn’t know who he was,” says Thomas. From Logic, he learned “a lot about the power of word. [Logic] believes every word he says, and he speaks them into existence.” The filmmakers see a bright future ahead for hip hop. Thomas points to artists like Dizzy Wright, who is bringing back the 80s, 90s sound and making the genre cool again. “Other people are going to see them and be inspired,” he says. The scene is thriving internationally. “The first breakers of the 70s probably would have never guessed that...the dance they were doing... would be taken to new levels in China, on the other side of the planet,” says Fletcher,
and partly, it’s because “the essence of hip hop lives within people and their overall lives.” “Anybody can watch this documentary and get something out of it,” concludes Thomas. The Curators of Hip Hop: a Story of Independence (www.thecohh.com) screens Sunday October 4, 4pm as part of Free Fall Baltimore. A panel discussion and short performance follow the film. Free museum and program admission.
7
FACES
of
FREEDOM
Les Payne, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. By Joseph Giordano.
The year 1955 may be remembered for the Montgomery bus boycott, and when the nation was introduced to Rosa Parks and a young Martin Luther King, Jr. However, Marylanders may remember the year for a group of intrepid Morgan State University students who boldly confronted 8
segregation in their backyard. Five years before the more famous sitins in Greensboro, North Carolina, Helena Hicks urged her fellow Morgan students to participate in a sit-in at Read’s Drug Store. The business maintained a strict policy of racial segregation, like many establishments of the time. The students’ brave resistance led to the eventual desegregation of the drug store, and all of its chain locations. Captivated by such stories and the advanced age of many civil rights heroes, photographer Joseph Giordano felt an urgency to compose formal portraits of them. As he stood on the National Mall at last year’s commemoration of the March on Washington, he looked around and realized “until then there hadn’t been a formal portrait series of a lot of these individuals except in a series on the 1960s by Richard Avedon.” Giordano placed the subjects against a white backdrop so that the viewer has only the individual in the portrait as the focus. Audiences are then freed to engage with the person staring back at them. Therein begins the conversation between the portrait subject and the viewer, believes Giordano. Visitors will see nearly life-sized pictures of African American Marylanders such as Simeon Booker, the first African American
reporter at The Washington Post. Other luminaries such as Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery, Julian Bond, and Robert Moses are in the series, as well as lesser-known individuals like Cherraye Oats, niece of Fannie Lou Hamer and execuitve director of the Fannie Lou Hamer Center for Change. While historic images of these leaders exist throug photojournalism, thanks to Giordano’s work, they now have formal portraits as well, giving their visual legacies the respect that they are due. The inclusion of leaders of members from both the Civil Rights and Black Power movements is intentional on Giordano’s part. “Their goals were different. Their ideas were different. But to someone who’s young and grew up as a result of that, I look at the big picture.” His “big picture” includes portraits of the “foot soldiers” of the movements and not just the individuals who led from the top. “Julian Bond, Robert Moses couldn’t have hit all those houses for voter registration… Talking to Bob Moses at the anniversary of Freedom Summer, it was the ‘little people’ who moved this whole thing along.” Struggle: Portraits of Civil Rights and Black Power by Joseph Giordano is on view October 1, 2014 - January 19, 2015. 9
Portraits by Joseph Giordano. On view in Struggle: Portraits of Civil Rights and Black Power. Clockwise from top left: Joan Trumpauer Mulholland with her mug shot after her arrest as a Freedom Rider. Julian Bond. U.S. Congressman John Lewis. Robert Moses. 10
NACE’S DAY PARADE:
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF FREEDOM
Nathaniel Hopkins pictured with his wife Caroline and 2 of their 6 children. By Lisa Crawley, Manager of the Resource Center
This November 1st, we commemorate the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation, as will Baltimore, Annapolis, and other communities across the state. On the Eastern Shore, local residents of Trappe, Maryland will hold the state’s oldest emancipation parade, the “Nace’s Day Parade,” in honor of a man named Nathaniel Hopkins. Hopkins was born enslaved on the Eastern Shore around 1830. He was owned by the McKnett family and may have had one other
11
slave owner in his early life. The arduous journey from slavery to freedom was one Hopkins never wanted the community of Trappe to forget. In 1867, he founded the town’s Maryland Emancipation Day Parade to commemorate the state’s emancipation act. For 33 years, Hopkins kept the spirit of freedom alive by organizing the annual celebration in Talbot County. The parade featured a marching band, men on horseback, orators, and some of the best cuisine to be found on the Eastern Shore. The parade is but one part of Hopkins’ legacy. His commitment to justice and freedom was lifelong. He enlisted and served with the 30th regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops in 1863. When illness befell him in 1864, he was forced to return to Trappe. That same year he encouraged an enslaved boy to escape and was
12
subsequently jailed for his role. The Hopkins family was back in court in 1866 when their son Charles faced a mandatory apprenticeship arranged by their former slave owner. Like many of freedom’s first generation, Nathaniel Hopkins witnessed important milestones leading up to the turn of the century. Over the next twenty years, he purchased a farm, assisted with the incorporation of Scott’s United Methodist Church, and helped establish two local schools for African American chilrdren. To learn more about Nathaniel Hopkins, visit Scott’s United Methodist Church in Trappe, Maryland, and the town’s historic markers in front of his home (at Route 565 and Barber Road) and off Route 50.
The state’s oldest parade commemorating emancipation - Nace’s Day Parade - continues today in Trappe, Maryland. Photograph by Edwin Remsberg, courtesy of Maryland State Arts Council. To conduct your own research on Maryland Emancipation, visit our Resource Center.
You Are Invited Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
Gala and Celebration to Honor Delegate Howard “Pete” Rawlings Special Awardee Paulette Brown, Esq. President Elect Designee American Bar Association October 29, 2014 Community Awards Program October 30, 2014 Engage, Empower, Educate Education program honoring Pete’s commitment to education November 1, 2014 Museum Gala For tickets visit RFLewisMuseum.org or contact 443.263.1832 or development@maamc.org
13
CALENDAR Families
Films
Special Events
E xhibitions For Whom It Stands* May 17, 2014 - February 28, 2015 Best Historical Exhibition 2014 - Baltimore Magazine. During the War of 1812, flag maker Mary Pickersgill sewed the original Star-Spangled Banner in a house on the same city block as the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. The flag was worked on also by Grace Wisher, a young African American indentured servant in the household. This exhibition identifies Wisher’s contribution and investigates the broader history and representation of the U.S. flag as an icon of our nation and its people. New objects were added to the exhibition in September 2014. Struggle: Portraits of Civil Rights and Black Power October 1, 2014 - January 19, 2015 Stand amongst luminaries of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. Maryland photographer Joseph Giordano has photographed the well-known, as well as unsung, freedom fighters of the era in formal portraits. While historic images of civil rights and Black Power leaders exist through photojournalism, Giordano composes portraits as a statement of the prominence of these individuals. His work establishes a new visual history of this pivotal American era. On view include Marylanders Dr. Helena Hicks, Simeon Booker, Dr. Maulana Karenga, and Robert Houston.
Pro g ram s Programs are included with museum admission unless otherwise noted. Charles Ball Living History Performance* with Vincent Leggett Saturday, October 4, 12pm Meet Charles Ball, an escaped slave from Calvert County who took part in the defense of Fort McHenry and the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Ball was part of Commodore Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla. Thanks to his slave narrative, his story provides a rare in-depth look into the lives of African Americans from the Chesapeake. In partnership with the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
14
Museum. Location: Flag House Courtyard. In case of rain, Flag House Museum Auditorium. Free admission. Embracing Many Shades: Story Hour and Art Session (Ages 6-10) Saturday, October 4, 1pm Children will hear the story Shades of Beauty and see a video reading of No Mirrors in My Nana House. An art collage and paper doll craft activity follows. Led by Community Healing Network advocate Charlene Phipps. Free admission. The Curators of Hip Hop: A Story of Independence Saturday, October 4, 4 pm A true hip hop tale of five emcees whose stories demonstrate the power of dedication leading to endless possibilities. The documentary follows the lives of five “dreamers” looking to make it in the hip hop world. Their beginnings span from Hawaii to New York. Through extensive interviews with the artists, The Curators of Hip Hop verifies that the style isn’t dead, or even close to it. Starring Ahmad Lewis, Prie, Matt Reeves, Logic, and Dee-1. A panel discussion and short performance follow the film. Free admission.
Third Thursday Series: Alto Saxophonist Tim Green Thursday, October 16, 6pm A “player to watch” declares Jazz Times and “everything you’d want in a musician” says Christian McBride. Enjoy deftly swinging hard bop, traditional, and soulful gospel from this impressive alto saxophonist. Green has been dazzling audiences since placing second at the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Special admission $5. Docent Recruitment Day Saturday, October 18, 10 am – 12pm
Tim Green, award-winning saxophonist, performs October 16, 2014 at 6pm.
Leading group tours as a museum docent is a rewarding and wonderful way to share
15
your love of history and culture with students, children, and adults. We are currently recruiting museum docents for our upcoming docent class which will start January, 2015. Museum staff also provide ongoing docent trainings, which include exclusive previews of new exhibitions and behind-the-scenes discussions with museum curators and special guests. The only prerequisite is an enthusiasm for history and people! Please join us for coffee and an informal information session. This is a great opportunity to meet some of our active museum docents and learn more about this rewarding volunteer opportunity. For more information, contact Erica Holmes at (443) 263-1827 or holmes@maamc.org. Dark Girls Saturday, October 25, 1 pm (71 minutes) Has anything really changed since the days of American slavery when dark-skinned Blacks suffered even greater indignities than their lighter skinned counterparts? Dual documentary directors/producers D. Channsin Berry and Bill Duke took their cameras into everyday America in search of pointed, unfiltered, and penetrating interviews with Black women of the darkest hues for this emotional exposĂŠ. Post-screening, join EMPOWERTALK and Community Healing Network advocate Charlene Phipps in a group discussion and facilitated healing activities on colorism. Prior to the screening, a performance piece inspired by the film will be performed by Baltimore-based traditional contemporary dance company, DishiBem. Girl teens are encouraged to attend. The Neo African Americans Sunday, October 19, 2 pm (63 minutes) Join for this thought-provoking inquiry into the underpinnings of the rift and sometimes bond between African/Caribbean immigrants to the U.S. and African Americans. This documentary pries into various angles -- from identity to affirmative action, from isolation to integration, and from the perspective of first generation and second generations. You will be engaged and leave enlightened. Maryland Emancipation Day Lecture* Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery with Deborah Willis Saturday, November 1, 1pm In honor of the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation Day, Deborah Willis, Ph.D. examines photographic images from her landmark book of photographs Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery. The images depict the black community before and after freedom, and the impact of emancipation in everyday
16
life. Dr. Willis is University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She was a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow and Fletcher Fellow, and a 2000 MacArthur Fellow. Professor Willis has pursued a dual professional career as an art photographer and as one of the nation’s leading historians and curators of African American photography. $10 ticket (includes museum admission). Maryland Emancipation Play: Uncle Nace’s Day (Ages 6-11) Saturday, November 8, 1 pm Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation Day with teaching artist Culture Queen and her friends as they present a family-friendly production of this historic event using drama, music, and movement. During this jubilant performance, actors dressed in period clothing will educate the audience about the day’s historical significance and its relevance in 2014. The audience will leave the play filled with the spirit of freedom! Third Thursday Series: David Dyson Thursday, November 20, 6pm Enjoy an electrifying evening with producer, arranger, and composer of his own unique sound, David Dyson. Dyson has played bass to various incredible contemporary jazz stars such as Walter Beasley and Pieces of a Dream. Special admission $5. Blacks Without Borders: Chasing the American Dream Sunday, November 23, 2 pm (70 minutes) This groundbreaking film takes a heartfelt look at the emotional journey of a group of African Americans who called it quits in the U.S. to start a new life in South Africa. With 4 to 5 million immigrants coming to America every year to pursue the American dream why are they leaving? Blacks without Borders answers that question and more. The film chronicles 12 modern-day globetrotters who have uprooted their lives in pursuit of their dreams and are finding that America is not the only land of opportunity. Holiday Craft & Movie Day (Ages 6-11) Saturday, December 6, 12 - 3 pm Create a holiday craft to celebrate the holiday season and view the African American children’s animated holiday video, Santa Baby featuring Patti Labelle, Vanessa Williams and Gregory Hines. Dollar Day Weekend. Speical admission $1.
17
A Christmas Journey To Freedom Sunday, December 7, 2 pm (70 minutes) On this exciting adventure, you’ll travel back in time to follow a Christmas journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Join soloist Wintley Phipps, historian Dr. Allen Callahan, and actress Gwendolyn Briley-Strand as Harriet Tubman in this dramatic musical presentation that follows the true-life story of a slave named Joe (Wintley Phipps) and his journey to freedom. Through this profound journey, you will discover how the humble birth of Jesus gives hope and freedom to all mankind. Dollar Day Weekend. Special admission $1. Kwanzaa Celebration 2014 Saturday, December 27, 2014, Noon to 4 pm Come with family and friends to celebrate Kwanzaa. Experience the infectious energy of Sankofa Dance Theater. EnjoyAfrican dancing, storytelling, craft activities, and more. Purchase souvenirs from the African Marketplace of community vendors. Special admission $5.
Sankofa Dance Theater gives an opening drum call at last year’s Kwanzaa Celebration. *This exhibition and program has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.
18
COME VISIT! 8 3 0 E . P ratt S tree t B a l t i mo re , MD 2 1 2 0 2
Museum & Gift Shop Hours
Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Noon – 5 p.m. | Friday, July 4, 10am – 3pm The museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.
Café Hours
Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Parking
$6 validated parking is directly across the street at the PMI Garage, 815 E. Pratt Street.
Special Needs
Visitors with special needs can contact Visitor Services at (443) 263-1875. The museum has partnered with the Interpreter Mentoring Program, an initiative of the Hearing and Speech Agency’s Centralized Interpreter Referral Service to provide interpreting services.
Group Tours
Guided adult and educational group tours are available with reservations. Call (443) 263-1831. On weekends, a “Museum Highlights” tour is available at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Special Events
To book catered receptions and other events, call Cori Ramos, Director of Sales and Special Events, at (443) 263-1811.
Volunteer with Us!
If interested, contact Joy Hall, volunteer coordinator at 443-263-1852 or hall@maamc.org.
www.rflewismuseum.org | www.facebook.com/rflewismuseum 19
See p ag e 1 3
November 1, 2014
MUSEUM GALA
of Maryland African American History & Culture 830 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202
REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM PA I D
BALTIMORE, MD PERMIT NO. 7823
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE