As the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage, the Banneker-Douglass Museum documents and promotes African American culture and history by providing exhibitions and programs to increase the understanding and appreciation of this rich cultural diversity. The Banneker-Douglass Museum is part of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.

The Sylvia Gaither Garrison Library, named in honor of its first librarian, uses multiple resources to document Maryland’s African American heritage. It is contained within the Banneker-Douglass Museum. As a retrospective, the collection’s specialty is books, maps and periodicals from the late 1960s to the 1980s. This library uses audio-visual materials, and numerous other forms of research. The Sylvia Gaither Garrison Library has an African American rare books and manuscripts collection, ranging from the 1780s to the 1970s. Free self-guided tours are available.

Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, Phone: 410-216-6180

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