Making and Learning Environmental History in Maryland

Moderator

What is environmental history, and why does it matter in Maryland? Sophie Hess, MCHC’s 2022-23 Lord Baltimore Research Fellow and University of Maryland History PhD candidate, talks about how humans have both exploited the environment and used it to survive and resist over the course of this land’s long history. From plantation enslavement and freedom-seeking, to labor organizing within iron and steel manufacturing, to Indigenous claims for land and water rights, Hess draws the connections between Maryland’s ecological past and the present-day struggles for justice in surrounding communities. Martina Kado, MCHC's VP of Research and Library Director, joins Hess in discussion.

​

Harry S. Cummings and his Impact on Black Political Participation in Post-Reconstruction Baltimore

Moderator

Harry S. Cummings was one of the first Black lawyers in the state of Maryland prior to his role in politics, and in 1890 became the first Black council member for Baltimore City. His historic election dramatically increased the political participation of Black citizens as he fought for reform and greater civil rights.

Domonique Flowers, MCHC’s 2022-23 Lord Baltimore Research Fellow, showcases Cummings’ integral role as a community leader and political advocate for educational and civic issues in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Martina Kado, MCHC's VP of Research and Library Director, joins Flowers in discussion.

​

Publishing CareerBuilder: Careers in Museum Publishing

Invited panelist

This career webinar dedicated to museum publishing was part of GWU's MPS in Publishing program. Other panelists included: Emily Zoss, Managing Editor for Research Publications at the National Gallery of Art; Tanya Thrasher (Cherokee Nation), Manager, Office of Publications and Editor-in-Chief, American Indian Magazine, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian; and Becky Clark, Director, Library of Congress Publishing Office.

​

Eubie Blake: A Conversation about Rags, Rhythm, and Race with Grammy Award Winners Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom

Host

In MCHC's signature Francis Scott Key lecture series, co-authors Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom, with Martina Kado, PhD, MCHC Director of Publications, explore how they used Baltimore-born composer and pianist James Herbert "Eubie" Blake’s personal collections—housed in MCHC's H. Furlong Baldwin Library—to write their biography, Eubie Blake: Rags, Rhythm, and Race. Richard and Ken discuss their discoveries about Eubie's impact on American culture, the racial roadblocks, and how his Baltimore roots shaped his identity.

​

Pandemics, Pirates, and Prose: The Barbary Wars and the U.S.

Host

In MCHC's signature Francis Scott Key lecture series, Director of Publications Martina Kado talks to Prof. Lawrence A. Peskin (Morgan State University), Prof. Hester Blum (Pennsylvania State University), and Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse (Maryland State Archivist, retired) to discover connections between the Barbary Wars and the yellow fever in the Mediterranean and their stateside impact.

​

Discovering Benjamin Henry Latrobe

Host

In 1796 a 32-year-old, Moravian-educated Benjamin Henry Latrobe arrived in America with eclectic interests, financial difficulties, and a reputation for extravagance. As the "builder of America," Latrobe never really understood America and came to find an America that never really understood him. Prof. Jean Baker and Dr. Martina Kado joined in conversation to discuss the life and work of Latrobe, a man who was constantly thwarted but remained a shaping figure of American habits and beliefs.

​

The Sea and Literature

Speaker, invited public talk 

Hosted by Dr. Marija Ott Franolic, this one-on-one public talk explored the historical and artistic meaning of the sea in literature, especially its resistance to representation and language.