Established in 1969, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture is the nation’s first-ever ethnic commission and has a 50-year track record of exploring, researching, commemorating and preserving important places associated with the African American history of the Old Line State. On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re talking with Chanel Compton, the Executive Director of the Commission, about their work and the exciting future of African American preservation in Maryland and beyond.
The Commission is the oldest ethnic commission in the nation and doesn’t just talk about preserving history – it directly invests millions of dollars in brick-and-mortar projects across the state. It’s a Maryland story with national implications and one we had to bring to PreserveCast.
MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTChanel Compton is inspired and passionate about her role as Executive Director for the Banneker-Douglass Museum (BDM) and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). She also currently serves as Board Chair of the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center and board member to Afro Charities, Maryland Humanities and Future History Now. Compton has been a life-long supporter of museums; stating, “A museum can be such a powerful place. As a young person, it was my initial visit to museums and galleries that opened my eyes and mind to new perspectives, cultures, and history. African American museums are instrumental in inspiring a new generation of leaders and innovators because it is a place of empowerment, of learning, and a place of individual and collective transformation.” As Executive Director of BDM and MCAAHC, Compton is dedicated to serving arts communities and artists in Maryland. She has a home and art studio in Baltimore, Maryland.
PreserveCast Ep. 75: Kristen Harbeson and The Environmental Side of Preservation
PreserveCast Ep. 74: Antietam Shadows: Dennis Frye and the History We Think We Know
PreserveCast Ep. 73: Brittany LaVelle Tulla and Historic Charleston
PreserveCast Ep. 72: Keeping Original Windows with Sam Pardue of Indow
PreserveCast Ep. 71: Baltimore and the Royal Family: The Duchess of Windsor Collection at the Adele Corner House
PreserveCast Ep. 70: Rod Cofield and Museum Education on the Ground
PreserveCast Ep. 69: Sarah Marsom and the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists
PreserveCast Ep. 68: Lewis Contractors: The Big Picture of Preservation Projects
PreserveCast Ep. 67: Adventures in Preservation with Judith Broeker
PreserveCast Ep. 66: Abandoned America: Historic Photography Off the Beaten Path
PreserveCast Ep. 65: The London Mudlark with Lara Maiklem
PreserveCast Ep. 64: Preserving LGBTQ Historic Sites with Susan Ferentinos
PreserveCast Ep. 63: The Domino Sugars Sign: Live from Triangle Signs!
PreserveCast Ep. 62: The Enchanted Forest at Clark's Elioak Farm
PreserveCast Ep. 61: Berea, Kentucky: Gateway to the Mountains, and to the Arts
PreserveCast Ep. 60: The Rosenwald Schools with Aviva Kempner
PreserveCast Ep. 59: The Brewmaster's Castle, the Heurich House Museum
PreserveCast Ep. 58: Highway to History: Archaeology and Preservation in the State Highway Administration
PreserveCast Ep. 57: The History Doctor, Taylor Stoermer
PreserveCast Ep.56: Teaching Young Preservationists New Tricks: The YPA's Preservation Podcast
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra