Stories Have Power
Staff at Glen Burnie Library have once again collaborated with the Cultural Resources Archaeology Department of Anne Arundel County to put together a special display in celebration of Black History Month. The goal is to share stories that are often not told and illuminate histories that have frequently been rewritten. Black history is American history.
The display focuses on the history of Black Americans and the inventions they made that changed, improved, and impacted society’s everyday lives, including the lightbulb (yup, you read that right), the ice cream scoop, and the traffic light. The rights of ownership of these inventions were stripped away, and history often neglects to credit their true creators. As a result, many of us don’t know the real origins of the items we see and use every day.
The archaeology department provided a historical overview and genuine artifacts that tell the daily life story of Anne and Charles Savoy, a Black couple in Crownsville, Maryland. The year was 1870, only 7 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was officially issued, and while Maryland was still a place of limited rights and unfair treatment of African Americans, the Savoy family was making payments on a parcel of land as tenant farmers and making a way for themselves. There are no records of Anne and Charles before 1870, which likely indicates that they were enslaved during the previous decade.
Visit Glen Burnie Library through the first week of March to view the display. When you visit, be on the lookout for a scavenger hunt that can be returned to the information desk for a small prize upon completion (for all ages)!
Want to learn more about local Black history? Join us virtually on Wednesday, February 15 from 7 pm to 8 pm as we Discover African American Heritage in Anne Arundel County. In this online presentation, Drew Webster of the County's Cultural Resources Section will share the results of several collaborative community projects aimed at collecting, preserving, and sharing the county's rich and diverse African American heritage.
Enjoy the journey.
Learn More:
Explore these additional resources to learn more about local African American heritage and history:
African American History & Heritage in Anne Arundel County
Published February 9, 2023