On Saturday, Jan. 13, Annapolis’s Banneker-Douglass Museum, named for Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, hosted a event to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was a celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy, with an interactive civil rights-themed show, crafts and a performance by the artist Culture Queen.
We were asked to stand, clap and move to the beat as Culture Queen began to tell us the history of African Americans. As I was leaving, Culture Queen was chatting about the book “Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” by Doreen Rappaport.
Rappaport’s book begins with Dr. King seeing “Whites Only” signs throughout his hometown as a child. Culture Queen discussed conversations that Dr. King had with his mother about the signs.
Our bodies moved as Culture Queen shared historical moments of Dr. King”s life, and we were delightfully immersed in affectionate warmth, lots of us with smiling faces. What a blessing! We even got much-needed exercise! I passed a pretty lady dressed in African garb as I walked home. It was a memorable day at our beloved museum here in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland!
