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MCAAHC Mission 

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture is committed to discovering, documenting, preserving, collecting, and promoting Maryland’s African American heritage.

The Commission also provides technical assistance to institutions and groups with similar objectives. Through the accomplishment of this mission, the MCAAHC seeks to educate Maryland citizens and visitors to our state about the significance of the African American experience in Maryland.

Commissioners and staff at the 2023 Commission Retreat at Morgan State University.


MCAAHC April 2024 Public Meeting

MONDAY, APRIL 1ST
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH CHESTERTOWN
237 North College Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620

Meeting Agenda

Our next Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) Public Meeting will be hosted by Commissioner Jaelon T. Moaney in Chestertown, MD. This month’s public meeting theme will be “Black Trailblazers in the Natural World”.

Guest speakers:

  • Ashleigh Hairston, Actor, Writer, and Producer of Emmy-nominated cartoons based in Maryland
  • Mariah Davis, Environmental Justice Officer at Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Join us to learn about upcoming initiatives of the commission, and to hear from engaging speakers in the heritage and preservation community.


African American Heritage Preservation Program Grant FY25

Administered as a partnership between Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) and the MCAAHC, AAHPP provides grants to assist in the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. 

Applications for FY25 will be available on March 22, 2024. In preparation, in-person workshops and webinars will be scheduled to inform interested parties about $5 million in available funding for capital grants. Grant awards can range from $10,000 to $250,000!

  • March 27, 2024 | In-Person Workshop from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Banneker Douglass Museum (Annapolis)
  • April 23, 2024 | Webinar from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Virtual)
  • June 3, 2024 | Webinar from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Virtual)

Engaging with Descendant African American Communities

MCAAHC’s Ancestral Remains, Cemetery Research, and Preservation Committee and Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) have launched a project aimed at identifying lineal descendants or communities that are culturally affiliated with the remains of at least 15 individuals of African or possible African descent that are currently housed at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) in Calvert County, Maryland.

We are looking to actively engage with descendant communities in an ethical and inclusive manner and will result in a plan for the respectful reburial of the remains.

<<< Map of cemeteries at which remains were found | Courtesy of MHT


Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights 2024

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) and Banneker-Douglass Museum are declaring 2024 as “Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights” with exciting and relevant programming, exhibitions, and partnerships. 

With 2024 being the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act (1964), original programming and participation in platforms with community partners will commemorate the milestone year of this groundbreaking legislation. From 1964’s Bell vs. Maryland to 1963’s Treaty of Cambridge, Maryland has been the backdrop to civil rights legislation throughout the years. Additionally, Maryland has been the home to civil rights icons who will forever have a place in the history of this nation, such as Verda Freeman Welcome, Thurgood Marshall, and Gloria Richardson.

Check out the launch event of the initiative featuring guest speakers Gov. Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, MCAAHC Chair Dr. Edwin T. Johnson, and Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson above.


Upcoming Public Meetings

April 1, 2024
11:00am – 1:00pm
Bethel A.M.E. Church Chestertown
237 North College Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620
Meeting Agenda

FY24 Public Meeting Schedule 

  • August 7, 2023 
  • October 2, 2023 
  • December 4, 2023 
  • February 5, 2024 
  • April 1, 2024
  • June 3, 2024 

Click here for Public Meeting agendas, minutes, and video recordings.