The East Coast's Largest African American Museum Opens To The Public With A Celebration Of Heritage And Culture
Media Contact: Victoria Stinson
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 The Reginald F. Lewis Museum inspires and engages
visitors with exhibits that celebrate self-determination and accomplishments of
African Americans.
August 2005 - (Baltimore, MD) The Reginald
F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, located
in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, celebrated its grand opening on June 25,
2005. Maryland's newest cultural jewel and the east coast's largest
museum dedicated to African American history and culture opened with a
program that included dignitaries and history makers.
More than a decade in the making, the
Reginald F. Lewis Museum inspired their first visitors with exhibitions
and interactive galleries that tell the stories of some of the nation's
most celebrated and courageous heroes. Maryland's African American
history is unique and unlike any other state in America. Harriet Tubman,
Frederick Douglass, Benjamin Banneker, Thurgood Marshall and Matthew
Henson were all Marylanders. These African American Marylanders and
others undoubtedly have been catalysts in furthering the pursuit of
freedom and justice for all African Americans; and in doing so developed
a unique identity that is their own.
In June 2002, the Museum received a gift of
$5 million from the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation to support the museum's
endowment and to fund the museum's educational initiatives. In honor of
this gift, and to pay tribute to this local hero, the state and Museum
leadership proclaimed the Museum as the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of
Maryland African American History & Culture. In addition, the Museum has
received significant financial support from the State of Maryland, Peter
G. Angelos, Comcast Corporation, the National Endowment for the
Humanities, The St. Paul Companies, Verizon Communications, W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, and Whiting-Turner Contracting, among others. The Museum is
extremely grateful to the many donors and lenders for their
contributions in the form of priceless, one-of-a-kind artifacts that
document the history and culture of the African American community.
"This is a true testament to history, but
also a great deal of love, hard work and dedication to make something
really good happen. To be a part of this moment and bring light to a
museum that is dedicated to Maryland's unparallel African American
history and culture, gives you a wonderful feeling." stated Lieutenant
Governor Michael S. Steele. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum is an
institution demonstrating the diversity of the African American
experience through stories, oral histories, exhibits and public
programming. It also celebrates those African American Marylanders who
through their legacies, encourage future generations to keep reaching
for their dreams.
The Museum's permanent exhibition, will
unveil more than 400 years of history through engaging exhibits, past
and present, stories from famous and not-so-famous individuals such as
Curtis Downes, known as one of the best sail makers in the nation and
Lillie Carroll Jackson, known as the mother of the civil rights
movement.
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