On March 23, the Baltimore Sun published a piece about the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture that members of the BIER Steering Committee found concerning; as an organization committed to fostering collaboration and support amongst local educational non-profits, we wanted to share our concerns with all of you.

In the article, which was not motivated by any particular event, the Sun compared state funds-per-visitor between the Lewis and other Baltimore museums (the Baltimore Museum of Art, the American Visionary Art Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and the Maryland Center for History and Culture).The article casts the Lewis unduly as a unique burden on taxpayers.

We question the Sun's framing and motivations in this article, and why it was directed at our city’s premier repository for Black and African American history. The Lewis is the only institution of the five listed that is formally organized as a state agency; Lewis employees are classified as state employees.Terri Freeman, the President of the Lewis Museum, shared a response that highlights some of what is problematic about the Sun's commentary: the Lewis Museum represents a commitment made by the state to preserving, protecting, and interpreting the history of Black Marylanders; it is a much newer museum than the other museums it was compared to, and it serves an audience that has historically felt excluded from museums.

We are proud to share our support for the Lewis Museum, and encourage you to do the same by visiting and encouraging others to visit.

Many of the BIER steering committee members will be at the Lewis Museum on April 16, 6-7:30pm, for the event “Freedom Is Not A Moment, It Is A Movement.”

Please join us, say hello to the BIER community, and help us support the Lewis through your presence.