With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Baltimore area man seeks a home for black history

In a county that has museums for boats, rural art and duck decoys, John T. Lee Sr. says there is a noticeable omission in Harford's repertoire.

For more than 10 years, Lee has advocated for establishing a museum dedicated to African-American history in Harford County.

"We haven't had anything that our people can really associate with and feel good about, where people can look and say 'That's my uncle, my grandfather,' and make them feel proud and really learn the history," said Lee, a 64-year-old Havre de Grace resident.

To bring awareness to African-American history in the county, Lee is holding an exhibit of historical items today at the Holiday Inn in Aberdeen from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Lee, who works part time as a security officer at the hotel, will show 40 to 50 historic photographs of the county's African-Americans and their churches and schools. Many of the photographs were used in his self-published biography of Percy V. Williams, a prominent Harford County black educator.
Read entire article at Baltimore Sun