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The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum is a ride through African- American history that uniqueness is truly unrivaled. The museum is comprised of life-sized wax figures that are not only life-like, but also truly invigorating. This museum is unlike anything that you have ever experienced. From the beginning of the tour you are immersed with a truly authentic depiction of African- American history. The tour is vivid and unrelenting in that they show the true malicious beginnings of African-American slaves. The museum illustrates over 400 years of African-American history, however it begins with the Atlantic Slave Trade. With a full model slave ship exhibit, one cannot help but feel enamored by the life-like demeanor of the wax like figurines. Visitors will be astounded by the authentic visual of the museum, and will be left overwhelmed and reeducated.  

	The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum is the first wax museum to showcase African-American history in the nation. The museum located in Baltimore is truly an inspiring demonstration of African-American history. The museum truly has a life of its own. When you open the doors to the museum, you feel that you are a part of history. Visitors are bombarded with the wax figures of the likes of Hannibal, Askia the Great, Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, Emmet Till, and over a 100 others. This museum is unrivaled as it truly immerses visitors from start to finish. There is a story at every turn. Every wax figure is important because it has a story behind it. Nothing in the museum is unsubstantial. While you may know the many exploits of Rosa Parks, the museum encourages you to expand your education by setting alongside prominent Blacks like Rosa Parks, with the likes of Henry &ldquo;Box&rdquo; Brown, Prince Hall, Makeda, Queen of Sheba, and Elizabeth &ldquo;Bessie&rdquo; Coleman.

	The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum is truly a fascinating place. Besides the remarkable uniqueness of the museum, it serves as an educational experience. The museum supplies the visitor with well-known African-Americans, but it also forces you to experience people you have never heard of. It is truly fascinating when you walk into the museum and you see a statue of Rosa Parks, and suddenly you turn the corner and see Daniel &ldquo;Chappie&rdquo; James Jr. You are suddenly curious, and want to find out more about the wax figure you see in front of you. Who was Prince Hall, Mother Elizabeth Lange, of Robert Samuel? These are the questions you began to ask yourself. Even the greatest and most knowledgeable historian will appreciate this exhibit because it is not only captivating, but extremely thorough. If you want a truly unique experience of Black History, come and experience Black History in the form of wax.

The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

Instructor

This driving tour includes stops at a variety of black institutions such as churches and museums was well as historical markers, monuments, and sites that were central to the long civil rights movement in Baltimore. The tour also includes the former home of Thurgood Marshall, the Lilly Mae Jackson Home and Museum, the Black Soldier Statue, and the site of the 1968 riots.

<h4>Thurgood Marshall’s Childhood in Baltimore</h4><div>Thurgood Marshall was born at 1632 Division Street in Baltimore to Norma and William Marshall. Thurgood’s ancestors were slaves in pre-Civil War&nbsp;America&nbsp;and had come from the modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo. Norma Marshall was a kindergarten teacher in Baltimore and his father, William, was an amateur writer, a dining-car waiter, and later was a chief steward at a ritzy club. On his father’s days off, William Marshall took his children to the local court where they watched legal procedures and the arguments presented. The family debated these points afterwards, with William challenging his children’s points and constantly encouraging them to improve on their arguments.</div><div><br></div><div>During Thurgood’s childhood and teenage years (1908 to 1926), Baltimore was home to a substantial, yet controversial, type of racial discrimination, as the city bordered the Jim Crow south, Washington DC, and the north. The death rate for African Americans in Baltimore was nearly twice as high as Caucasians, and school segregation forced young Thurgood to attend an all-Black school. Common to many places in the US at the time, Thurgood Marshall also had to use segregated bathrooms, and there were few public bathrooms were African Americans. Nonetheless, Thurgood’s parents sheltered him from the racial reality from the time, as they earned a decent income and Thurgood attended first-class schools.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Thurgood left Baltimore when he was accepted to Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, and after being denied admission to the University of Maryland Law School due to his race, Thurgood went to Howard Law School in Washington DC. It was here that Thurgood Marshall was introduced to the world of the NAACP.&nbsp;</div><h4>Later Achievements</h4><div>From his beginnings in Baltimore, which arguably shaped his passions toward both law and the advancement of African Americans in America, Thurgood Marshall graduated from Howard Law School and started a private practice in Baltimore. From here, and with his prominent association with the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall shaped racial relations in the US and was a prominent force in ending segregation. Some of his most famous cases and achievements included:</div><div><br></div><div>1935 - Wins first major civil rights case, Murray v. Pearson</div><div>1940 - Wins first of 29 Supreme Court victories (Chambers v. Florida)</div><div>1944 - Successfully argues Smith v. Allwright, overthrowing the South's "white primary"</div><div>1954 - Wins Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, landmark case that demolishes legal basis for segregation in America</div><div>1961 - Nominated to Second Court of Appeals by President John F. Kennedy</div><div>1965 - Appointed U.S. Solicitor General by President Lyndon Johnson</div><div>1967 - Becomes first African American elevated to the US Supreme Court</div>

On this site is the childhood home of Thurgood Marshall, one of the most important Civil Rights advocates and voices and the first African-American elevated to the Supreme Court. Born in 1908 in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall was denied admission to Maryland Law School because of his race and went to Howard University in Washington DC instead. Following his graduation at Howard, Marshall returned to Baltimore to start a private practice and begin a 25-year affiliation with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

Prior to his appointment to the US Court of Appeals in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall was a lawyer in the historical case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the case that the Supreme Court ruled that separate schools for Black and white students was unconstitutional. From these humble beginnings at this site in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall became one of the most fundamental people in the Civil Rights movement.

Thurgood Marshall House

Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson was a civil rights leader who presided over the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP from 1933 to 1970. In&nbsp;that time, Jackson&nbsp;not only brought the organization back to life after it had been active in the early decades of the 20th century, she helped raise the organization’s membership and built the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP into one of the largest and strongest in the entire nation. <br><br>Jackson accomplished this with grassroots organization which culminated in the creation of a state-wide network that fought for equal rights under the law for African Americans in Maryland. Among her accomplishments in her many years at the helm of the NAACP's Baltimore Branch were several legal challenges to Jim Crow in Maryland, establishing the NAACP legal defense fund, and getting the city of Baltimore to put Black policemen in uniforms for the first time. She and her members also made parks and civil service jobs available to Black residents. Her daughter, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, followed in her footsteps and became an activist as well. She graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1950 and went on to become the first African American woman to practice law in Maryland. <br><br>Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson passed away at the age of 86 and asked that the home in which she spent 22 years of her life be turned into a museum. She hoped it would be a way for people to remember the struggle for civil rights. When its doors first opened to the public in 1978, it was the only civil rights museum in Maryland named in honor of a woman. The museum housed several civil rights documents, memorabilia, family photos and other items of cultural interest. A life-sized photo of Dr. Lillie and Rosa Parks is perhaps the most prominent of the artifacts contained within the building. <br><br>Between 1978 to 1995, the museum enjoyed modest traffic but was closed to visitors in 1995 because the deteriorating condition of the building meant that it was no longer viable as a museum. The civil rights artifacts were placed in storage, but thankfully, the building was purchased by Morgan State University in 1996. Thanks to a&nbsp;grant awarded by the state of Maryland, Morgan State has completed&nbsp;considerable renovations and the museum reopened in 2016. The museum is now part of the&nbsp;university's program in museum studies.&nbsp;<br>

This museum opened in 1978 and reopened in 2016 following a four-year restoration project that was made possible by Morgan State University, the institution that took ownership of the museum starting in 1996. The museum includes exhibits that share the history of the civil rights movement in Baltimore, and the life of Dr. Jackson, a civil rights leader who lived in the historic Baltimore row home. The museum also shares the story of Dr. Jackson, Margaret Thomas Carey, Clarence Maurice Mitchell Jr., and other Baltimore residents who led the fight for racial equality and civil rights in the state of Maryland. Jackson passed away in 1976 and in her will asked that the home become an educational museum that also served as a repository for historical artifacts. Among the permanent galleries are rooms dedicated to the history of the NAACP, youth activists, and leading individuals within Baltimore's long civil rights movement. 

Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum

The building's physical condition deteriorated to the point that civic organizations considered it both dangerous and a liability to its owner.&nbsp;The church made the difficult decision to demolish the building owing to its deteriorating condition and estimated cost to preserve and restore the historic building. The demolition has led to an increased awareness of other historic sites throughout the city, as well as the difficult decisions that must be made if resources to preserve historic sites are not available.&nbsp;

In 1970, this historic Baltimore rowhouse became known as "Freedom House" for its role in hosting civil rights meetings and organizations. In the previous two decades, this building was home to the local chapter of the NAACP and the place where national civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. visited while in the city. In an earlier period, the home was owned by Harry S. Cummings, Baltimore's first Black city councilman. Cummings lived in the home from 1899 to 1911. Despite the efforts of local activists and advocated of historic preservation, Bethel AME church demolished the property in 2015. The property was donated to the church by civil rights activist Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson in 1977. 

Freedom House (1970-2015)

Union Baptist Church is a site of historic and architectural merit. It’s historical significance is a result of its contributions in the pursuit of civil rights for Blacks in Baltimore. It was also the location of several civil rights meetings. Architecturally, it is the work of New York architect William Beardsley who is renowned for his stellar ecclesiastical work. The two-story grey granite building with its soaring street façade is a fine example of the late Victorian Gothic style in an urban setting. For its historic and architectural significance, the main sanctuary was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. <br><br>The church’s civil rights legacy owes a lot to the efforts of its 5th pastor, Dr. Harvey Johnson who led his parishioners from 1872 until the time of his death in 1923. Dr. Johnson helped lay the foundations for the Niagara Movement and the NAACP by litigating to gain equal pay for Black teachers. He also litigated for Black lawyers to be allowed to practice in the State of Maryland. In addition to this, he won the first case in the United States that ended the identification of Blacks as cargo in interstate commerce. Dr. Johnson was also responsible for withdrawing the church from the Maryland Baptist Union Association because of its discriminatory conduct; this led to him establishing the Colored Baptist Convention in 1897. In his 50 years at the helm, 13 churches were established from Union Baptist Church’s congregation and 5 of those are still in existence today. <br><br>Union Baptist Church also left its mark on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s as it was one of the co-sponsors of the March on Washington in 1963. It’s work in the community can be seen in its foundation of B.U.I.L.D, a grassroots leadership development organization rooted in Baltimore’s neighborhoods and congregations. The church also helped establish the Baxter L Matthews Senior Residence Center, an independent living community located just a couple of blocks from the church. Union Baptist Church celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2012 and continues to be an advocate for advancement and unity among African-Americans in the city of Baltimore. <br><br><br>

Union Baptist Church was established in 1905 and it is one of the very first places of worship for African-American Baptists in the city of Baltimore. The church has played a role in community service in the city and it also had a hand in the fight for equality and social justice as well. It’s contributions to civil rights can be traced back to one of its early ministers, Dr. Harvey Johnson, who was one of the founders of the Mutual United Brotherhood of Liberty. The Mutual Brotherhood of Liberty was a civil rights organization that fought against Jim Crow laws in the 1900. The organization used courts to pursue civil rights for African-Americans in Maryland. The legacy Dr. Johnson helped start can still be seen today as the church continues its social activism in neighborhoods throughout central Baltimore. 

Union Baptist Church (Baltimore, Maryland)

The Orchard Street United Methodist Church is a historic site built in the Neo-Romanesque style. It was formally organized in 1837 and additions were made in 1853 and 1865 to include a school house for Sunday school and class meetings and to accommodate the growing congregation. Further renovations were made in 1882 and the church was renamed Metropolitan
Methodist Episcopal Church. In the decades that followed, the church went on to stand as a beacon in the community, one that supported education, civic engagement and community development<br><br>The work of community and activist groups led to the church being officially recognized for its historical significance. It was added to the National Register of Historic places on the 12th of November 1975. Much of the congregation dispersed in the 70s and the church was left unoccupied for just over two decades. Vandalism and the failure to give the building the care and attention it required led to the grand old structure being reduced to a shell of its former self. The Urban League came to its rescue in the late 80s, and with the support of the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland, the restoration process began and the building was returned to its former glory. <br><br>On the 6th of November 1992, a social event reintroduced the historic church to the public as a museum and the headquarters for the Greater Baltimore Urban League. Following years of planning and renovations, the historically significant structure became a shining example of Black history and a memorial to the heritage of Baltimore's African American Community. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

The Orchard Street United Methodist Church was constructed in 1837 and is the oldest standing structure erected by African Americans in the city of Baltimore. The church was founded by Trueman Pratt, a free Black man born into slavery in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Unearthed beneath the church is a mile-long narrow tunnel that many believe was used along the Underground Railroad. The church's congregants are believed to have played an important role in sheltering and assisting escaped slaves. The church is no longer an active place of worship; it instead stands as a museum of Black history in the state of Maryland. It is also home to the Greater Baltimore chapter of the National Urban League, a civil rights organization that advocates against racial discrimination in the United States. 

Orchard Street United Methodist Church

<p>Read’s Drug Store opened in 1934, and had a policy of racial
segregation in the 1950s, along with most other places in Baltimore. In 1955,
students at Morgan State College in Baltimore, which was a primarily Black
college, decided that they were going to begin to take action against racial segregation
among businesses in Baltimore. After Morgan State students were denied service
at Read’s drugstore, they decided to work together with faculty, along with the
Baltimore chapter of CORE in order to work towards racial equality and desegregation
of the drug store chain. </p>

<p>CORE was an organization of civil rights activists who were
led by Ben Everinghim, who had previously been a high school history teacher. &nbsp;CORE had many successes prior to the Read’s
Drug Store success, and provided the students with guidance in conducting their
sit-in. On January 20, 1955 CORE members and Morgan State students staged a
short sit-in at the Read’s Drug Store flagship store, along with another sit-in
which lasted for a week. The sit-in was led by CORE leader Ben Everinghim along
with Dean McQuay Kiah, and Dr. Helena Hicks both of Morgan State. </p>

<p>The sit-in at the flagship store lasted for less than a half
an hour, it was non-violent, and no one was arrested. &nbsp;The participants were denied service however, and
this sit-in sparked many other protests at other local Read’s. As a result of
the sit-in protests of Read’s Drugstores, they lost business, and the owner
announced that they would begin serving all customers at all locations. The
results of this sit-in were quick, and led to integration at other businesses
around Baltimore. The methods used during this sit-in also provided a model for
future sit-in protests during the Civil Rights Movement.&nbsp;</p>

The Read’s Drug Store sit-ins represent the first use of use of sustained direct action against segregation beyond the protests that occurred in places such as Wichita and a number of Northern college towns in the 1940s and early 1950s. Throughout 1955, protesters occupied members of the Read’s Drug Store chain throughout the city of Baltimore. The sit-ins were conducted by students of Morgan State College, along with members of the Baltimore chapter of the Committee of Racial Equality (CORE) who believed that by desegregating the drug store chain, they would be making a powerful statement about the dignity of people of color and the economic power of a united Black community. 

The main sit-in occurred at Read’s flagship store on January 20, 1955. Protested also organized several other demonstrations, including those that occurred at other franchise locations. The wave of sit-in protests may have been short-lived, but historians have shown that they inspired future direct action protests in other "Border Cities" from Missouri to Kentucky. In 1960, a similar protest in North Carolina led to a wave of protests throughout the Border South that even spread into a number of communities in the Deep South. 

Read’s Drug Store Sit-ins

From the Revolution War&nbsp;to the Vietnam War, the monument honors Black soldiers who fought and died protecting their country. It commemorates the sacrifices they made and the patriotism that drove them into service, even amidst the immense prejudice and racism&nbsp;they faced. The official name of the monument at the time of its dedication was the&nbsp;Negro War Heroes Monument, though it has gone by several names, including "Black Soldier Memorial Statue" and "Monument to the Black Soldier," since its unveiling in 1972. <br><br>The 13-foot-tall bronze statue was sculpted by James E. Lewis, who was chairman of the art department at Morgan State University for 36 years. Lewis made use of the highly-regarded bronze foundry, Roman Bronze Works, in the creation of the piece which towers on a rectangular base of granite. Facing the elegant War Memorial Building and its aquatic horse statues, the monument's current location represents a success, in itself.&nbsp;<br><br>Originally situated at the north end of Battle Monument Park, the statue was was the subject of&nbsp;both intense debate and poor placement.&nbsp;While many felt it was not&nbsp;the best site because the park was a celebration of a single event--the defense against and defeat of the British assault on Baltimore in 1812--others felt the placement awkward and disrespectful to the soldiers it sought to honor. In its former location, the Black Soldier Memorial Statue&nbsp;was situated with its back to the busy thoroughfare of Calvert Street, making it unrecognizable to drivers. After thirty years tucked away at the north end of the park, the statue finally found a new home.&nbsp;At the urging of The African American Patriots Consortium, and with the support of several veterans’ organizations, the statue was transported to its current location at the entrance to Baltimore City Hall, facing War Memorial Plaza,&nbsp;in January, 2007. In an ironic twist, the monument's current location rests upon the former site of the Holliday Street Theatre, where actor John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, performed.1&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>The Black Soldier Memorial Statue now stands in a more prominent location-- a location from which then President-Elect Barack Obama gave a speech on January 18,&nbsp;2009, remarking on Baltimore’s historic role in the formation of the United States. Not much is known of the generous donor(s), though the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System has noted that the cost of the sculpture was $30,000. This gift to the City of Baltimore will forever stand as a tribute to all those who gave their lives in service of this great nation. <br><br>

The Black Soldier Memorial Statue, commissioned and dedicated by the City of Baltimore thanks to the financial support of an anonymous donor, was designed by sculptor James E. Lewis and unveiled on May 30th, 1972. The statue depicts a soldier holding a wreath and sash. Written on the sash is a chronology of the wars in which African American soldiers fought in the service of the United States. The statue was originally located on the north side of the Battle Monument Park, but has been a permanent fixture in War Memorial Plaza, in front of Baltimore City Hall, since 2007. 

The Black Soldier Memorial Statue

<p>Joe Gans, born Joseph Saifuss Butts on November 25th, 1874, was the first American-born Black boxing world&nbsp;champion. Butts was adopted and took his mother’s last name, Gant. In response to the media misspelling his name, the young boxer simply changed it to&nbsp;“Gans.” In&nbsp;&nbsp;1902 Gans won “the world lightweight boxing title in Fort Erie, Canada, with a spectacular one-round knockout of the defending champion, Frank Erne.”&nbsp;</p><p>During his storied career, Gans was known as the “Old Master” and was one of the first to fight with gloves marking the transition from the&nbsp;era of bare-knuckle&nbsp;fights to the modern era. For eighteen years Gans fought in three divisions:&nbsp; featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Gans achieved 150 career wins with at least&nbsp;100 knockouts.</p>

<p>Joe Gans invested a significant amount of his&nbsp;winnings into businesses within his Baltimore community. Gans opened a saloon, a gymnasium, as well as the Goldfield Hotel and its nightclub at this location.&nbsp;Gans opened the Goldfield Hotel with his winnings from his most famous fight against Oscar Nelson which occurred in Goldfield, Nevada in 1906. The fight lasted 42 rounds and Nelson ended up being disqualified for personal fouls. In 1908, Gans fought Nelson two more times and lost both matches. By that time in his career, Gans was succumbing to tuberculosis and died of the disease in 1910.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Goldfield Hotel opened on October 29th, 1907,&nbsp;with a “gala celebration and crowds overflowing on Colvin Street (then Chestnut Street).” <sub>1</sub>&nbsp;&nbsp;The hotel’s club is where Eubie Blake, a future jazz great, got his start as a piano player.&nbsp; The club was one of the first integrated clubs in the community as both white and Black Baltimoreans were welcome in an era where the color line was often strictly enforced and Black musicians either played at white-only clubs or played for Black audiences in Black-owned clubs. Gans' success with his hotel venture inspired other boxers to follow in his footsteps. for example,&nbsp;heavyweight champion Jack Johnson established&nbsp;a nightclub in&nbsp;New York.</p>

<p>Joe Gans died at the age of 35 from&nbsp;tuberculosis on August 10th, 1910. The hotel was later used as a grocery store and then was demolished in the 1960s.&nbsp; Now the site is home to a post office complex but a small marker shares the story of Joe Gans and the Goldfield Hotel.&nbsp;</p>

In 1902, Baltimore native Joe Gans won his place in history as the first African American world boxing champion. At that time, however, his most famous fight was still four years away. In 1906, Gans emerged victorious after boxing a grueling 42 rounds against Oscar Nelson in Goldfield, Nevada. As news of this bout spread, so did Gans' fame and opportunities for more lucrative prize fights. Capitalizing on this fame and investing his winnings, Gans established a hotel at this location in Baltimore in 1907 and dubbed it the Goldfield Hotel recognition his victory. The hotel's nightclub was notable for being among the first integrated entertainment spaces in the city. The hotel once stood on the corner of East Lexington and Colvin Streets. Gans died in 1910 and the building later served as the home of a grocery store before it was demolished in the 1960s. The site of the hotel is now a post office complex. 

Joe Gans and the Goldfield Hotel Historical Marker 

<p>During his final years, Wall Street attorney Reginald F. Lewis reserved five million dollars to establish and support a museum of African American history and culture in Baltimore. The museum offers several permanent exhibitions that trace the story of African American history from slavery to civil rights. Both the permanent and special exhibitions often place a special emphasis on Maryland and Baltimore.</p>

Established as the Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture in 1998, this museum is named in honor of Baltimore business leader Reginald F. Lewis, the first Africna American to build and lead a Wall Street law firm. Together with a five million dollar donation from Lewis, funds from the state of Maryland, and donations form indiviudals and organizations throughout, the museum opened its current facility in 2005. Highlights of the museum include three galleries that preserve and share the history and contributions of African Americans in Baltimore. The institution also operates a resource center and offers monthly programs that include lectures, musical performances, and educational events for all ages. 

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

<h4>The Baltimore Slave Trade</h4><div>Historic figures such as Frederick Douglass and Thurgood Marshall are rightfully praised in Baltimore for their contributions in substantially improving the plight of African Americans. Yet, before the Civil War, Baltimore was also home to a prolific domestic slave market, where the horrors of slavery (outside the plantation) were available to public witness. In fact, between 1815 and 1860, Baltimore's port was one of the leading disembarking points for ships carrying slaves to New Orleans and other destinations in the Deep South. When freeing a slave trader’s jail on Pratt Street in Baltimore in 1863, Union Col. William Birney wrote to his commanding officer, “In this place I found 26 men, 1 boy, 29 women and 3 infants…Sixteen of the men were shackled and one had his legs chained together by ingeniously contrived locks connected by chains suspended to his waist."<sub></sub></div><div><br></div><div>Men, women, and children inhabited these slave pens for different periods of time as well as reasons. And quite frequently, Baltimore residents could see a dreary scene of chained slaves being ordered from the pens to the harbor, where ships took them south. Additionally, slave owners resting in Baltimore could “store” their slaves overnight for a small fee in these pens; unwanted slaves, such as those who tried to escape several times, could also be sold, housed, and meagerly fed in these pens until a ship could take them to the markets in the Deep South. This trade also posed a threat to the free African Americans living in Baltimore, who were often kidnapped and sold into slavery.<sub>1</sub></div>

The Baltimore Slave Trade Historic Marker, erected by the Maryland Historical Trust, is a reminder of the connection between the domestic slave market that proliferated primarily between Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point. Although the US banned the import of slaves in 1808, the domestic slave trade in Baltimore thrived, as well as in many other cities at the time. Furthermore, due to innovations such as the cotton gin and the growing desire for more slaves in the Deep South, it is estimated that before 1859, over one million slaves were sold south from Maryland and Virginia. 

One Baltimore institution that exemplified this trade was the “slave pens,” most of which were located in Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point, including some that were located near this marker. Compounding the slave pens were frequent advertisements in the Baltimore Sun and other papers, declaring "5,000 Negroes Wanted" or "Negroes! Negroes! Negroes!" In an 1845 city directory, "Slave Dealers" were listed between "Silversmiths" and "Soap." More than a dozen slave traders operated in Baltimore along Pratt and adjacent streets. The stories regarding Baltimore’s past is still controversial for African Americans and whites, and this historic marker ensures that these stories aren’t unforgotten.

Baltimore Slave Trade Historic Marker

<p>The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is a 5,000 square feet national heritage site that opened in June 2006. It functions as a campus and headquarters for the Living Classroom Foundation which helped fund it in hopes of celebrating the contributions of African Americans in the development of Baltimore's maritime industry. The space includes interactive learning centers like the Alex Brown Maritime Education Center and several galleries that chronicle the lives of Issac Myers and Frederick Douglass.</p><p>The ground on which the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is located once housed the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company, a company formed by Issac Myers in 1866. As CEO, he employed Frederick Douglass and controlled the largest Black-owned business in the 1800s. Frederick Douglass lived and worked on the docks and it is said that he purchased his very first book a block away from where the museum is built.</p><p>In addition to the exhibits that chronicle the lives and accomplishments of Myers and Douglass, the museum contains artifacts, historical images and maps, archaeological findings, artistic rendering and audio components. As part of the Living Classroom Foundations efforts to promote hands on education, the education centers offer programs that teach ship building &amp; repair skills to at-risk youths.</p>

<p>The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is located on the Baltimore Inner Harbor. It is a culturally significant site housed in the oldest standing industrial building on the Inner Harbor. The Park and Museum are part of the Living Classroom Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen communities, inspire young people to reach their potential and promote cultural preservation. The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum highlights the lives of Frederick Douglass who grew up in Baltimore and lived in Fell’s Point, and Isaac Myers who founded the first African-American owned and operated shipyard in the United States.</p>

Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park

<h4>Brief Overview of the 1968 Riots in Baltimore</h4>
<p>For those two weeks in April, beginning within hours of the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the entire city of Baltimore was devastated by a series of civil uprisings and riots, culminating in the deployment of over 10,000 armed National Guard troops as well as Federal troops under orders from President Lyndon B. Johnson.&nbsp;</p><p>It is important to note that the 1968 riots were not solely caused by King’s assassination, but instead by decades of growing tension that culminated in the riot. Martin Luther King Jr. had been coming to Baltimore for speaking events and civil rights activism since 1953; at the same time, downtown Baltimore had seen a surge in African American population growth, and the city had sub-par housing, high infant mortality, and crime, complicated further by an unemployment rate among the African American population that was double the national rate.</p>
<p>Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, and across the nation, unrest was building in major cities. The Maryland National Guard was called up in anticipation of unrest in Baltimore. The evening of the 4th and April 5th, however, were quiet and calm in Baltimore. Around noon on April 6th, a peaceful gathering formed for a memorial service to King. Around 5 pm of that day, violence started breaking out on the 400 block of Gay Street, where shop windows were being smashed.</p>
<p>The riot started gaining force with looting, fires, and property damage that evening at Gay and Monument streets; a curfew was set, all off-duty police officers were called to duty, and Maryland Gov. Spiro Agnew declared a state of emergency in Baltimore. Nearly the entire Maryland National Guard, both Army and Air, were called up as well, and by April 7th, with the National Guard unable to deal with the unrest, Federal troops were then called in to help. “Task Force Baltimore” peaked with 11,570 Army and National Guard troops by April 9th. The riots continued and on April 12th, some federal troops began moving out of Baltimore following General Robert H. York’s declaration that order had been restored to the city.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Insurers estimated that Baltimore suffered losses at $8-10 million. Around 288 liquor-related establishments were burned or looted; 190 food stores were vandalized; 1,200 fires were lit; 5,700 people were arrested, and six individuals died in the riots (three to fire, one in an auto accident, and two of gunshot wounds).<sub>1</sub></p>

The Baltimore Riots of 1968 marked a violent climax of Baltimore’s racial and economic tensions, and it was the result of numerous social factors of the time. These social factors included declining manufacturing and industry sectors, increasing economic distress and poverty among the city’s growing African American community, and, perhaps most infamously, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Like in nearly every major city in the U.S., King’s assassination was the spark that ignited this riot, which between April 6th and April 14th, resulted in six deaths, 700 injuries, and $8-10 million in property damage around the city.

Baltimore Riots of 1968

<p>The Wire is an
American crime drama filmed and based in Baltimore, Maryland and aired on HBO
between 2002 and 2008. It primarily centered around issues facing Black
communities, such as the drug trade, addiction, mass incarceration, gentrification,
education disparities, and police brutality among others, in Baltimore and the
Baltimore Police Department. The five season series also confronted topics like
deindustrialization, the economy, terrorism, politics, and the media. The Wire
was nominated for, and won, a wide variety of awards, including nominations for
the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, NAACP
Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series for each of its five seasons, Television
Critics Association Awards, and Writers Guild of America Awards. It received
little in the way of mainstream Hollywood attention with critics citing the
shows grim nature, inner city setting, and realism as what kept it from
garnering more attention. </p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yet, the show’s
ability to tackle real urban problems is what led it to become one of the most
cult classic television shows of all time. In addition, actors like Aidan
Gillen, Idris Elba, and Michael B. Jordan, all gave some of their best performances
on the series. Perhaps most notable, however, was the character of Omar Little,
portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar, a robber of drug dealers, was a
character ahead of his time. Similar to a modern day, inner city Robin Hood,
Omar was a top player in the drug game, but he kept to a code and faced off
against homophobia, racism, and the industrialized prison system.
Unfortunately, as the series came to an end, so did the life of Omar Little. He
is killed, by an extremely young boy, with a gunshot wound to his head. This
infamous and violent scene was shot inside, the now torn down, Novak’s Food
Market on the East Side of Baltimore. </p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite The Wire
ending in 2008, the issues that made up the foundation of the series remained
in Baltimore – particularly police brutality. As reports from media outlets
like The Baltimore Sun and The Atlantic suggest, police brutality did not just
spring up with the deaths of young men like Michael Brown and others, they had,
in fact, been happening for years with several million dollars in funds being
allocated to victims and families. Between 2011 and 2014, The Baltimore Sun
reports that 5.7 million dollars is the amount the city paid to victims of
brutality. The unfortunate reality is that large number is just a fraction of
cases that come to light. However, one Baltimore case has come to shape the
narrative surrounding police brutality and Black lives in America. </p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the morning of
April 12, 2015, Freddie Gray was arrested for possessing a knife- a charge
later revealed as false. One of the officers on a police bike, made eye contact
with Gray and states that the young man ran from the police. After chasing and apprehending
him, police arrested Gray and put in the back of a Baltimore Police Department
van. Sometime between being arrested and arriving to the station, Gray was
severely injured and arrived in a coma. He was sent to the hospital and succumbed
to his injuries, ruled officially head trauma and an eighty percent severed
spinal cord in the neck, on April 19, 2015. By April 25, six of the officers involved
were suspended with pay as the investigation began. The medical investigation
found that Gray had sustained the injuries while in transport. The medical
examiner's office concluded that Gray's death could not be ruled an accident,
and was indeed a homicide, due to the officers failing to follow safety procedures
in the transport of the arrested person. As of 2017, all charges have been
dropped, or in trail were found not guilty, against the officers involved. In
September of 2015, the city of Baltimore reached a settlement with the family of
Freddie Gray, awarding them 6.4 million dollars. </p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Protests
following the arrest and brutality involving Freddie Gray, began as early as
April 18th in Baltimore. By the 25th, hundreds of people
had gathered in the city to demand further action by the city and Baltimore
Police. Unfortunately, what began as peaceful protests became overshadowed by
violent riots, with mobs destroying property and setting fire to over fifteen East
Side businesses. These businesses included a CVS pharmacy and the infamous
Novak’s Food Market featured in HBO’s The Wire. Many of the African American
actors from The Wire, who spent years portraying Baltimore residents, urged
rioters to protect the city they loved and to stand against injustice in
constructive ways. </p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Regrettably, in
the two years since Freddie Gray’s death and the protests, riots, and dialogue
that occurred after, not much has changed for the state of race relations, or
police brutality, in Baltimore or the nation. The aftermath is best surmised in
Baltimore Sun article recognizing the two-year anniversary of the loss of Gray’s
life. It reads, “In the days and weeks after the death of Freddie Gray shook
Baltimore, leaders and activists spoke of seizing the moment to confront some
of the city's most vexing challenges: entrenched poverty, mistrust between
police and the community, criminal violence. Two years after Gray's death, some
wonder if Baltimore let slip an opportunity to achieve lasting change.”&nbsp;1</p>

Situated in an East Baltimore intersection, the plot (now also a construction site) that once held Novak's Food Market, also known as Novak's Grocery, had been a location of unfortunate violence in both film and reality. Prior to 2015, the Baltimore market was probably best known as a film location for the critically-acclaimed HBO drama The Wire- specifically the death scene of one of it's most infamous characters. In real life, Novak's Food Market was set ablaze during riots that overtook the city of Baltimore between April 28th and 29th in 2015. The riots began after the death of a young Black man- Freddie Gray, sparked protests against police brutality. While the protestors themselves remained peaceful, rioters took to the streets causing mayhem and setting over fifteen East Baltimore buildings on fire, including Novak's Food Market. 


Former Site of Novak's Food Market - A Landmark of Black Television and History in Baltimore

The Baltimore Afro-American was founded on the 13th of August 1892 by John Henry Murphy Sr. Murphy was a former slave who gained freedom following the
passage of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and he started the paper when he merged 
his church publication, The Sunday School Helper with two other Baltimore newspapers. By 1922, The Afro had evolved from a newspaper that was a one-page weekly church publication to one of the most widely circulated African American newspapers in the country. Murphy passed away just as the newspaper started to garner a lot of national attention. Following his death, the newspaper was run by one of his five sons, Carl Murphy, who headed the paper for 45 years and established 13 national editions. His other sons were trained in different areas of the newspaper trade and two of them, Carl and Arnett Murphy, served as editor-publisher and advertising director respectively.<br><br>At the peak of its powers, The Afro was circulated in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. bi-weekly and in Philadelphia, Richmond,
and Newark, once a week. The newspaper became a strong force in the fight for racial equality and equal opportunity and its editorial pages were used to lobby for Black representation in the legislature and for the
establishment of a state supported university to educate African
Americans. In the 1930s The Afro launched a successful campaign known as 
"The Clean Block" campaign, a program that is still in existence today. The campaign has the distinction of being the oldest urban environmental programs in the country and it is held annually with the objective of improving the 
appearance of, and reducing crime in, inner-city neighborhoods. <br><br>Many prominent Black journalists and writers have worked for the Afro-American including Langston Hughes, J. Sunders Redding and sports 
editor Sam Lacy. The Afro was the first Black newspaper to have correspondents reporting on the second World War and it was also the first Black newspaper to employ female sports correspondents. In the 1950s, The Afro joined forces with the NAACP on numerous civil rights cases and much of the work they did fighting against segregationist admission policies in schools helped pave the way for the landmark supreme court case, Brown v. Board of Education. Today, the Afro-American is managed by fourth generation members of the Murphy family, publishers John J. Oliver, Jr. and Frances M. Draper. It continues its mission with insightful coverage of current events and major social trends.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

The Afro, as it is commonly known, is a weekly newspaper in Baltimore, MD. The newspaper has been in circulation since 1892 and is the oldest Black family-owned newspaper in the United States. This Black owned and operated newspaper has crusaded for racial equality and the socioeconomic advancement of African Americans throughout its existence. For over a half a century, The Afro was the most widely circulated Black newspaper on the Atlantic coast and today, with offices in Baltimore and DC, the newspaper has both a print and an online presence. It publishes two weekly editions and on the online front, The Afro gives users access to The Afro Archives - a vault that features various editions from the last 100 years that cover an impressive span of change, division and progress in African American History. 

The Baltimore Afro-American

<p>Throughout
the 40’s inequality, discrimination, hatred, racism, maltreatment, and
injustice were day-to-day characteristics; these deeply-rooted essences
encompassed the lives of African Americans. Disgusted and dissatisfied, the
Young Progressives of Maryland decided to call to action a plan that would set
the tone for the degree of uncontainable anger they felt. They staged an
interracial tennis match that was to be held at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore,
Maryland. “When the Park first opened in 1860, recreation facilities such as
pools and tennis courts were racially segregated. This practice was finally
challenged on July 11, 1948, when 24 Black tennis players, protesting the
City's discriminatory policies, were arrested for playing on the park's
"white-only" tennis courts.” </p>

<p>Royal Weaver
and his fellow tennis players decided to play this match with aspirations to
bring segregation to a halt; for they believed that they should have equal
treatment to be able to play on integrated courts. “Any number of events in
which African-Americans pressed for equal treatment after slavery could be
called the beginning of the civil rights movement.” The actions of the tennis
players exemplify one of numerous endeavors to finally reach racial equality. Bravery
along with ceaseless efforts played a huge role leading into the Civil Rights
Movement. </p>

<p>The change
that Weaver and his associates desired wouldn’t come until after the Brown
decision; however, the efforts of every event that demanded equality managed a
step toward justice. </p>

<span>24 of the players were arrested during this
tennis match protest; 4 African Americans were charged with disorderly conduct;
and 7 white activists were charged with conspiracy. “In response, an
interracial group of Marylanders sued demanding an end to racial segregation in
city sponsored sports and recreation.&nbsp;
This case followed the important victory in the case Shelley v. Kraemer
(1948) in which the Supreme Court ruled that racially restrictive housing covenants
were unenforceable under the law.” Baltimore’s tennis revolt demonstrates that
the advocates were already fully-engaged in the journey to end segregation.&nbsp;</span>

The 1940’s was a period that represented the hard work by activists who stood up for their civil rights, equality, and desegregation. It was a time that foreshadowed the Civil Rights Movement and the essential plan of action for advocates to demonstrate equality and justice among all Americans. July 11, 1948 was just that; it was a moment that demanded attention to the continual mistreatment and injustice of African Americans. This date marks the interracial protests and arrests of white and Black activists at Druid Hill Park. A group named the Young Progressives of Maryland planned to manifest an interracial tennis match that would represent the unfair domination that segregation played in their lives.

Druid Hill Tennis Protest

<p>The school's original name was Colored High School and this was later changed to Douglass High School in honor of abolitionist and 19th century leader Fredrick Douglass. At the time this school was established, African American teachers were only required to complete a year of training before they were able to teach in the city. The existence of this school allowed for higher standards and in 1902 the requirement was expanded to the completion of a two-year teaching certificate. As the school expanded, the school expanded and offered both a high school and a "Normal Department" that trained teachers. In 1926, that department became the Fanny Jackson Normal School.&nbsp;<br></p><p>Fanny
Jackson was born a slave on October 15, 1837 and at the age of twelve, her aunt
purchased her freedom. After working for several years as a servant, young Fanny was able to&nbsp;enrolled in Ohio's Oberlin College in 1860. She became the first African American
accepted to the college preparatory department and was&nbsp;also a member of the
Young Ladies Literary Society. While at Oberlin, Jackson established a night school
to teach former slaves after the Civil War ended. She became a high school
teacher after her graduation at the Institute for Colored Youth in 1865 and became the principal four years later, the&nbsp;first African American woman to
obtain this position/ Jackson served as the&nbsp;principal for the next thirty-seven
years. </p>

<p>Fanny Jackson educated African
American youth she also founded homes for poor and working woman. While doing
missionary work she met and married the Rev. Levi Jenkins Coppin on December
21, 1881. In 1902 Fanny and her husband traveled to Africa to do missionary
work. The founded the Missionary school named Bethel Institute. After doing
missionary work for a decade Her worsening health caused her to return to Philadelphia
where she passed away on January 21, 1913. <br></p><p>The school's name changed again in 1938 to Coppin Teachers College-a name that reflected the expansion to a four-ear curriculum with a&nbsp;Bachelors of Science Degree. In 1950, the Coppin Teachers College joined the higher education system of the State of
the Department of Education in Maryland. In July of 1952 Coppin Teachers College
moved to its present location on West North Ave seated on 38 acres. 

</p><p>The Brown versus Board decision in 1954 opened the Coppin Teachers College to all students but it remained an all-Black school led by a&nbsp;predominately white board of
directors for many years. Coppin State Teachers College continued to expand despite
being underfunded and the school was granted authority to offer a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English in 1965 and degrees in social sciences two years
later. In 1967 the school’s name was changes to Coppin State College and the&nbsp;first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded.</p>

<p>On April 13, 2004 Coppin State College achieved university statues and was officially
renamed Coppin State University. The University has accredited undergraduate
and graduate programs, and the National Council for the Accreditation of
Teacher Education recognizing Coppin State University’s teaching program. The
school is made of five colleges including Health Professions, College of Arts, Business,
Behavioral and Social Sciences, Education and Graduate Studies. There is practically
4,000 students attending the University with many being from different ethnic
groups and social backgrounds Presently Coppin State University offers
fifty-three types of degrees.</p>

Constructed in 1972, this auditorium is named in honor of author, poet, and early civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson. Johnson became the first African American to lead the NAACP. The building is one of the oldest on the uniquely modern campus of Coppin State University, an institution of learning that was founded as a high school for African Americans in 1900 and named in honor of former slave and pioneering educator Fanny Jackson Coppin. Like many other campus buildings, this structure was completed in the 1970s and was part of the expansion of the college that led to university status in 2004. The auditorium holds 975 and is the only large assembly space on campus other than the college's intercollegiate athletic facilities. 

Tour of African American Historical Sites in Baltimore Maryland

The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information