Larry Hogan 2019-11-06 01:00:44
DEAR FRIENDS: From musicians and abolitionists to scientists and statesmen, African-American Marylanders have made indelible contributions to the history and culture of our great State. Starting with Maryland’s very founding and carrying through to today, their impact has been felt around the State, across the country and even overseas. I invite you to use this guide filled with Maryland stories of struggle, pride and triumph. Begin your journey in Southern Maryland to learn of Mathias de Sousa, a man of African descent and one of Maryland’s founding colonists. De Sousa arrived in 1634 as an indentured servant but became a member of the state’s governing body as a free man. Travel the Eastern Shore on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway and discover the stories of brave people who risked their lives to escape the bonds of slavery. Learn more about this time in our history with a visit to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Dorchester County. Witness Tubman’s remarkable courage as she made her perilous trek, then returned to bring others into the light of liberty, earning the name “The Moses of Her People.” In addition, Maryland’s Network to Freedom sites tell the stories of countless other heroes as well as significant events linked to the struggle for freedom. In Annapolis, Baltimore and Easton, uncover the story of the legendary abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass. In Oella, learn more about the life of Benjamin Banneker — an early American scientist, astronomer, and abolitionist — and his contributions to the design of our nation’s capital. In Bethesda, see the cabin of Josiah Henson whose memoirs inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Further west, in Sharpsburg, visit Tolson’s Chapel and its cemetery dating back to the 1800s. Jazz legends Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway and Eubie Blake made their home in Baltimore. Today, you can learn more about the city’s African American heritage at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, as well as the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, which is the largest museum of its kind on the East Coast. Visit the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum in historic Fells Point, which shines a light on African-American contributions to our maritime history. I invite you to use this guide and visitmaryland.org along with Destination Maryland to plan your trip to Maryland. You’ll find great food, vibrant cities, scenic beauty, rich history and warm, wonderful people along your way. Sincerely, Larry Hogan Governor
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