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.
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Olivia Williams of McLeod Plantation: Fighting Racism & Building Empathy through Honest Educational Interpretation
Mining Historic Stream Beds for the Newest Innovation in Eco-Friendly Paint with Michelle Shively of True Pigments
Cultivating Common Ground at Sotterley Plantation with Nancy Easterling
Healing & Justice: The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Dr. David Fakunle
First Person Interpretation of America's True Story with G. Peter Jemison (Seneca, Heron Clan)
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Best of the West with Katherine Wonson of the National Park Service's Western Center for Historic Preservation
Illuminating Southern Appalachian History at Foxfire Museum with Kami Ahrens
Our Historical Obsession with the Unexplained with Colin Dickey
[RERELEASE] The History of Women's Suffrage with Kacy Rohn
Ep. 140: Gettysburg: A Touchstone of American History with Christopher Gwinn
Going Net Zero at Historic Sites with Siân Phillips of the National Trust of England, Wales & Northern Ireland
Elevating Authentic Stories from the Underground Railroad with Dr. Kate Clifford Larson
Open-Air Museums and the Historic Trades at the Genesee Country Village
PreserveCast Ep135: Preserving Public Housing with Dr. Lisa Lee of the National Public Housing Museum
PreserveCast Ep134: Doing Social Good through Preservation Activism with Catherine Fleming Bruce
PreserveCast Ep133: Creating Places for Nature in Urban Communities with Alden Stoner of Nature Sacred
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