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
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Dear Friend, The year was 2005. A young lawyer named Barack Obama began his first term as a U.S. Senator to Congress, and a museum called the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture opened in Baltimore. Many gathered in Charm City for the museum's opening, including a then emerging artist named Alicia Keys. That was a spectacular day for Baltimore and Maryland alike! Over the past 10 years, we have had outstanding exhibitions and events, thanks to support from members like you. Visitors still reminisce about A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie. More recently, The Kinsey Collection displayed an early copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. Our community events have brought people from all walks of life together to engage in learning and conversation about relevant topics. As we look forward, we have planned special events to celebrate you, because without you, the museum would not be able to tell the compelling stories of Maryland’s African American people. Our remaining 10th anniversary events include an author talk with ballerina superstar Misty Copeland. While you’re here, visit Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts and see how high you can jump compared to a ballerina in the interactive section of the exhibit. Finally, the exhibition of Devin Allen’s photographs expresses our approach for the next decade. His show debuts a new space inside the museum, Lewis Now. It is a place meant for the community to converse and exhibit around issues important to them. As always, we welcome you to the museum, and we hope that you enjoy the experience!
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Dr. A. Skipp Sanders Executive Director
Cover image: Devin Allen
FACING IT Hundreds of visitors posted ideas for positive social change to the museum's Face It wall. The interactive installation was created in response to a series of highly-publicized cases of police brutality.
The museum invited visitors to post their ideas for positive social change to an interactive wall named “Face It”, after a series of highly-publicized cases of police brutality around the nation. Here’s what they said. “Our community can be a better place if we all support, love one another.” “Hands up don’t shoot.” “We should continue to stand strong and united and fight for what is right!” These are just some of the comments posted by museum visitors on our “Face It” wall, an interactive installation in the museum that was created in
response to the national outcry following the death of Michael Brown, as well as other highlypublicized cases of police brutality. From January 19 until April 18, 2015, museum visitors of all ages posted over 450 responses on a wall inside the museum. The installation was multisensory. As
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visitors approached the wall, a recording played overhead of the names of unarmed people of color who had been killed since 2005 by police officers, letting the reality
face with “Why am I a target?” written across it. Suggestions for social change included the planting and care for community gardens; more recreation centers;
The Face It wall has revealed much about how the museum audience feels about their community and how they want to move forward. of police brutality and related injustices sink in for each person. Once a visitor approached the wall, pen and paper were available to express an idea for positive change, then to adhere it to the wall. People responded in their own personal style. Some wrote a message, while others drew images. Some responses were a combination. In addition to the variety of approaches, there were a variety of messages. Popular hashtags and phrases such as #Blacklivesmatter were used. Some of the most striking responses employed few words at all. One visitor drew a
supporting black businesses; and a more multicultural approach to education. Faces that were clearly written by children asked for cleaner neighborhoods and less gun violence and crime. In a tally of all of the key words, “Love,” “Respect,” “Peace,” and “Community” appeared much more frequently than “Hate” and “Racism.” The Face It wall has revealed much about how the museum audience feels about their community and how they want to move forward. Most notably, the interactive installation exhibit is a way to continue important, and at times, difficult conversations.
The interactive wall is located on the first floor, inside the community space called Lewis Now. Its theme and prompt will regularly change in response to current issues and exhibits. Admission to Lewis Now is free and open to the public. 4
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A CAROUSEL RIDE I N TO T H E C I V I L R IG HTS MOV EM EN T Students in Mr. Patrick Dougherty’s class think that it’s another typical day at Millford Mill Academy in Baltimore County. Then their teacher starts talking about an amusement park. It’s not just any park. This one was in Gwynn Oak Park, just four miles away from where the students are seated. Most of Mr. Dougherty’s students are unaware that the park was once segregated. Dougherty is teaching a lesson called, “Taking a Merry-Go-Round Ride into the Civil Rights Movement: Two Symbols of the Civil Rights Movement and their Historical Markers.” It is about the significance of the park and its relation to Maryland’s Civil Rights Movement. The lesson is one of several from the curriculum An African American Journey: A Resource for Learning the History of African Americans in Maryland and the United States. It was developed as a collaborative effort between the museum and the Maryland State Department of Education. The lessons are available for free. “In addition to the museum’s commitment to education through its exhibits and programs, we wished to reach all corners of the state by providing teachers with an easy way to integrate African American history and culture into their classrooms,” says Skipp Sanders, Executive Director of the museum, on the origin of the project. A task force of educators from school systems across Maryland and professors from local universities created the curriculum. Additionally, each lesson is aligned with the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards to seamlessly fit into any lesson plan. The 43 elementary and middle school lessons, and 73 high school lessons, cover history, English, fine arts, and more. “Sing Me a 12-Bar Blues” gives students insight into the historical context behind blues music, with an opportunity to listen to performances by greats such as
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The carousel from Gwynn Oak Park, a once segregated amusement park in Baltimore County, Maryland, is the basis for one of a lesson from the curriculum. The carousel has been relocated to the National Mall. Photo by Ted Nigrelli.
Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. “Of Masks and Cages” explores the symbolism in the work by acclaimed poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. When asked how his students reacted to the historical relevance of Gwynn Oak Park, Mr. Dougherty noted that “the lesson about the...community in particular gave students a local connection to history. They saw that I had gone a little bit deeper...to engage and inspire them.” In addition to using the curriculum, Mr. Dougherty participated in a professional development workshop on the Civil Rights Movement. The museum offers professional development for educators in connection with the curriculum. High school lessons are at lewismuseum.org/curriculum. All lessons will be online beginning September 2015. 7
A MOMENT WITH THE
FANTASTIC The museum’s 10th anniversary culminates with a gala at the museum on Saturday, November 14, 2015. The Honorary CoChairs are Eddie C. Brown and C Sylvia Brown and Baltimore City Councilman Nick J. Mosby and Baltimore City's State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby. We spoke with Mr. Brown and Councilman Mosby.
RFLM: What does it mean to you to be involved as Honorary Co-Chair? Councilman Nick Mosby: What Reginald F. Lewis meant - not just for our city, state, or country, really - it means a lot when an institution bears his name. When we look at issues that plague our community, they draw back to social economics. Knowing his plight growing up in East Baltimore, going on to Dunbar and Harvard, provides a past and opportunity to look up to and to dream. To have the museum bear his name means a lot to the city. Mr. Eddie Brown: Our family has a long-standing involvement and support of its work, going back to early days. We made a $1 million challenge grant to the museum specifically to start a permanent endowment fund. That challenge after several years was met by the museum through its fundraising efforts. That was the beginning of a permanent endowment fund. RFLM: Why is it important for people to support the museum and this gala? EB: It takes considerable resources to operate the museum at the level that the citizens of Baltimore will be pleased with. It is the only museum, at least in the Baltimore area, whose mission is specifically devoted to exposing the broader community to the history and achievements of African Americans in Maryland - not only for the broad community - but for the African American community to understand and cherish this part of American history. It’s extremely important for children of all races to understand and appreciate. 8
Eddie C. Brown, CEO and founder of Brown Capital Management, and City Councilman Nick Mosby are two of the museum's Honorary Gala Co-Chairs.
RFLM: The museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Where were you 10 years ago? NM: Preparing for my wedding. We had purchased a home. It had been abandoned for 18 years. It didn’t have a roof. A lot going on for me in 2005. EB: Brown Capital Management, my investment firm, celebrated its 5th year in its newly renovated headquarters. We were founded in 1983. But as we were growing we needed more space. 2005 was a very difficult business year, but we got through it and had tremendous growth. We also purchased our limited edition Mini Cooper GP. Only 2,000 were produced in the world. Mine is #1595. It’s written on the roof. RFLM: Is there a song request for the DJ, or for Ellis Marsalis, that we can forward on your behalf? NM: No specific request, but you’ll see me on the dance floor. EB: Otis Redding's “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.”
The 10th Anniversary Museum Gala Party is November 14, 2015, 8:30pm-1am. You are invited to join us. To purchase tickets, visit lewismuseum.org/gala2015. 9
IN A NEW LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEVIN ALLEN
Baltimore photographer Devin Allen catapulted to fame when his photos of the Baltimore protest in spring 2015 landed on the cover of TIME magazine. Allen donated his printer’s proof of the TIME spread to the museum’s permanent collection. His first solo show is on view July 10 - December 7, 2015. The exhibition also unveils the new community space on the first floor of the building, Lewis Now, which is free and open to the public. The museum spoke with Mr. Allen recently. (The interview has been edited for length). RFLM: The compassion you have for Baltimore is so timely. You decided that your initiative is to uplift others by staying here for a while and drawing resources to the city instead of uprooting for another opportunity right away. Why is that so important to you? DA: Because it's my home. Out of all of the negative stuff that's been going on, we haven't had something positive in a while. I showed the city in a different light. I didn't do it for myself. I did it for my city. This isn't my art. It's the city's art. So the art needs to stay here. It can be a new foundation to bring more attention, to bring more stars, more money. I did it to inspire every person here to stand up and use whatever they have. It doesn't matter if it's a camera, a paintbrush, a pen. You have a voice. Now the goal is to build on top of that and not lose that momentum because this is just the calm before the storm. There are a lot of things that need to be fixed, and I think I can help with that now. RFLM: You're interested in helping mentor our Baltimore children. You want to give them cameras and show them what you do. DA: They don't have enough outlets. I'm just one kid from the Baltimore streets. Imagine how many other kids didn't get the chance that I had. There are so many good people here with so many talents...you never know what a kid is capable of if you never touch that [untapped potential]. RFLM: The museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. What
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Henry Parks founded the Parks Sausage Company in Baltimore, which became a national institution until the factory was sold in 1999. In 1968, Parks Sausage Company drew a 75 percent share of the white market and was popular in the black community as well.
HENRY G. PARKS, JR: A B A LT I M O R E B U S I N E S S T R E A S U R E has your journey been like over a decade? Where were you 10 years ago? DA: Ten years ago, I was a...typical 16 year old. Played basketball, chased girls. I had the braids. Went and got myself a little tattoo. But at the age that I was, I was well-coached. My mother, she made sure I was three-dimensional. I had a lot of views at that young age. So when they came to me to jump into the art world, it was kind of effortless. I worked hard, of course. But my mother always allowed me to venture out and try everything. I went through my trials and tribulations growing up here. Dealing with police myself. Dealing with the streets. Hanging in the streets. It’s been a journey. Hopefully ten years from now, I’ll probably be helping curate the next artist from Baltimore. That’s why I like teaching these kids now. I was in their shoes. If I can get them now, they can probably join me in [the museum] one day. Listen to the full interview with Devin Allen at www.soundcloud.com/ lewismuseum. Allen’s first solo exhibition Devin Allen: Awakenings, In a New Light, is on view inside Lewis Now, July 10 - December 7, 2015. Admission is free and open to the public.
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When Henry G. Parks, Jr. made the cover of Business Week Magazine in 1968, he went from being a success story based in Baltimore, to a national one. The impressive rise of Parks Sausage Company was no overnight sensation. Early in his career, Parks knew that understanding his customer base was crucial to his future success. He also knew he had the innate ability “to sell anything.” After working for a sausage manufacturer in Ohio, Parks opened up his own company in 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. What Henry Parks wanted for his customers was what he wanted for himself: a quality sausage product, using Southern spices, with efficient delivery to a broad customer base. It took years of raising capital, creating an effective distribution system, and obtaining USDA approval to become a successful interstate business.
By 1968 Parks Sausage Company was popular in the black community and drew a 75 percent share of the white market. The company at its height was a multi-million dollar business employing 300 people. Parks Sausage succeeded because its marketing strategies integrated Middle America. Using the advertising campaign “More Parks Sausages Mom, please?” the company embedded itself in the minds of three generations of American families.
To hear the whole story behind the remarkable Henry G. Parks, Jr., please join us as we welcome author Maurice Dorsey, Ph.D. for a lecture and book signing of Businessman First: Remembering Henry G. Parks, Jr. 1916-1989 on Saturday, September 26, 3pm. This is a free event in partnership with the Baltimore Book Festival.
CA L EN DA R E x hibit ions Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts Through August 30, 2015
P r o g r a ms
F am ilies
F ilm s
Sp ecial Even ts
All programs are included with museum admission unless otherwise noted.
First Position Sunday July 5, 1:30pm (95 minutes) Every year, thousands of aspiring dancers enter one of the world’s largest ballet competitions, the Youth America Grand Prix, where lifelong dreams are at stake. Bess Kargman’s award-winning box office hit follows six extraordinary dancers as they prepare for the chance to enter the world of professional ballet, while navigating adolescence. A showcase of awe-inspiring talent, tenacity and passion, First Position paints a thrilling and moving portrait of the most gifted ballet stars of tomorrow. Special Dance Workshops Join the museum in July on Sundays for dance workshops. Dance classes are suitable for beginners and those who just like to dance. Dance workshops are coordinated by Dance Baltimore. To register, please contact Terry Taylor at terry.taylor@lewismuseum.org
This majestic exhibition of dazzling costumes, set pieces, and video excerpts celebrates an iconic company and its corps who defied prejudice, and gravity itself, in pursuit of their talent. In the process, the company made history and shattered barriers for future generations of aspiring performers. Dance Theatre of Harlem is a celebration of courage, and of the magic and uplifting power of the performing arts.
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Flash Mob Practice for Artscape Sundays, July 5 and 12, 3:30 – 4:30 pm So you think you can dance? Join us at Artscape to spontaneously perform a flash mob dance to the popular tune Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars). Learn easy dance steps by attending one of two sessions. Instructors are Renee Pitts and Cheryl Goodman.
Devin Allen: Awakenings, In a New Light July 10 - December 7, 2015
House Dance Workshop with Andre Butler Sunday July 26, 3pm
In spring 2015, Freddie Gray sparked protests in Baltimore after his fatal death while in police custody. Baltimore photographer Devin Allen was on the ground capturing the moments as a member of the protests. Catapulted to fame when his coverage of the events landed on the cover of Time magazine, this first solo show exhibition of Allen’s work shows a diversity of moments rarely seen in the mass media coverage surrounding those days and opens a new interpretation of events. On July 11, 1pm join Allen and other community artists and activists for a panel discussion.
Explore House Dance, a style of dance with its roots in the clubs of Chicago and New York, along the lines of Hip Hop, Locking, and other social dances with a core of improvisation. Andre Butler has been a member of Baltimore Dance Crews for many years, performing throughout the area. He has taught young people in Baltimore City, Washington, DC and Miami with an excitement and enthusiasm that is infectious. 15
Songs and Stories with Miss Maria Saturday July 11, 3pm
Ballerina Story Hour and Costume Art Session Saturday August 1, 11am - 1pm
Enjoy story, song and dance with dancer Miss Maria Broom. Miss Maria will present interactive stories with delightful positive lessons that will uplift children and families. Although nationally recognized as an actress for her recurring roles in HBO’s The Wire and The Corner, Miss Broom is also a storyteller and dancer with more than forty years of performing and teaching across the globe, and now, the author of The Village Bully.
Enjoy the story Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen and then make your own colorful ballerina tutu.
War Dance Sunday July 12, 1:30pm
Meet ballerina star Misty Copeland, the first African American principal dancer in the history of American Ballet Theatre. She has also famously starred in a music video for Prince, been a guest judge on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and is the current face of Under Armour. Ms. Copeland will discuss her memoir, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina and her first children's book, Firebird. Book signing follows.
(107 minutes) In war-torn Uganda, the military and opposition forces have been fighting for as long as the children in this documentary can remember. The children and families in one refugee camp heal through song and dance. They take their minds off of the horrible killings and genocide by practicing with all of their hearts to make it into the National Music Competition. Rodney Kelley, Jr., Keyboardist Third Thursday Series Thursday July 16, 6pm
Mad Hot Ballroom Sunday August 9, 1:30pm
Come relax and enjoy keyboardist Rodney Kelley, Jr. bringing you a mix of funky hip-hop grooves with jazz. Rodney’s smooth, suave piano style is similar to the likes of Brian Culbertson, Marcus Johnson, and Bob Baldwin. Special admission is $5. Planet B-Boy Sunday July 26, 1:30pm (99 minutes) Enter the international world of break dancing, spanning Japan, to Korea, France, and the US, as five crews train for the event of their lives - The Battle of the Year, the oldest and largest B-boy event in the world. Breakdancing, originally known as b-boying, follows the crews from vastly different cultures, as they converge around a passion that is their ultimate expression of creativity. Official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival 2007.
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Life In Motion: A Conversation with Ballerina Misty Copeland Saturday August 1, 1pm
(106 minutes) Filmed in bustling New York City, the heroes and heroines of this awardwinning documentary are fifth graders in the public school system. They may be young, but in their world, race, gender and religion do not matter as they are brought together through a love for ballroom dancing. Told through their perspectives, at times hilarious and heartwarming, the youngsters will leave you inspired to do the cha-chacha. Joe Cooper Project Third Thursday Series Thursday August 20, 6pm Enjoy the eclectic musical stylings of the Joe Cooper Project. They bring positive vibrations of originals with a unique blend of Reggae, Jazz, Spoken Word, Rap, song and instrumentals all with that World Beat flavor. $5 special admission.
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Carmen and Geoffrey Sunday August 23, 2pm (80 minutes) Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder are two living legends in the world of American dance. de Lavallade achieved notoriety in the early 1950s, as a lead dancer of incomparable beauty and grace. Holder found fame as a dancer as well as an actor and theater director (“The Wiz”). Interviews and riveting footage of their work with Duke Ellington, Josephine Baker, and others, as well as of their choreography work and Holder's stunning achievements in painting and costume design, demonstrate the virtually uninterrupted creativity of these icons. Community Dance Concert and Fashion Show Saturday August 29, 3:30 – 5 pm A salute to the artistic endeavors of Dance Theatre of Harlem will be showcased with a fashion show of theatrical costumes. Enjoy musical dance performances, interspersed with video excerpts of Dance Theatre alumni discussing their experiences. Featured artists and groups include Full Circle Dance Company, soloist Torens Johnson and more. Family Reunion Expo Saturday September 12, 12-5pm The expo provides attendees with the resources necessary to begin planning their next family reunion. The event will feature fun for the entire family, including catering tastings, hotel and vendor information, genealogy experts, and live entertainment. In partnership with Visit Baltimore and GreiBo. Free. American Promise Sunday September 13, 2pm (120 minutes) Follow Idris and his best friend, Seun, over 13 years as they make their way through Dalton, one of the most prestigious private schools in the country. Chronicling the boys' divergent paths from kindergarten through high school graduation, this provocative, intimate documentary presents complicated truths about America’s struggle to come of age on issues of race, class, and opportunity.
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The Spice Band Third Thursday Series Thursday September 17, 6pm Back by popular demand, usher in fall with crowd favorite, The Spice Band. Spice will have you on your feet with their mix of jazz and R&B. $5 special admission. Meet Matthew Henson, Explorer of the North Pole Saturday September 19, 11am Travel to the North Pole with teaching artist Culture Kingdom Kids and hear the incredible story of Maryland native Matthew Henson, who was Robert Peary’s exploration partner to the North Pole and other places. Children will hear the story, I Matthew Henson by Carolyn Boston, then play games, sing songs, and create an art project about this African American explorer. A Strength of the Mind: Educating Our Black Boys A Woodson/Franklin Talk Saturday September 19, 1pm How do we raise black boys in a society that has targeted them at birth? Is black male achievement a myth or reality? Dr. Karsonya Whitehead of Loyola University discusses her latest book, Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in Post-Racial America. Dr. Raymond Winbush, the Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University, speaks about strategies for increasing black male achievement in our schools. He is author of The Warrior Method: A Program for Rearing Healthy Black Boys. In collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. (ASALH) and its Baltimore branches. Businessman First: Remembering Henry G. Parks, Jr. Saturday, September 26, 3pm Learn how Henry G. Parks Jr. took his Baltimore based sausage business and turned it into an American name brand. Author Maurice Dorsey will explore the career of this pioneering entrepreneur and civic leader from his book Businessman First: Remembering Henry G. Parks, Jr. 19161989. This is a free event in conjunction with the Baltimore Book Festival. RSVP preferred online or call 443-263-1816. 19
H ous e D anc e Works hop wi th A ndre B utl er. P age 15 .
830 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202
of Maryland African American History & Culture
REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM PA I D
BALTIMORE, MD PERMIT NO. 7823
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE