SU Students’ Historical Exhibit to be Featured at Maryland Governor’s State of the State Address

Stevenson University is excited to announce its traveling exhibit In Freedom’s Name was invited to be featured at Governor Wes Moore’s first State of the State address in Annapolis. A project of the University’s bachelor’s program in History, the exhibit tells the stories of more than 65 African American Marylanders and their courageous contributions to United States military history through 250 photographs and archival images.

“The project commemorates the contributions of Maryland’s African American men and women to the expansion of freedom in the world,” said Glenn T. Johnston, Ph. D., Stevenson University Archivist, Program Coordinator, History and Humanities, and Assistant Professor, History. “We are very happy for the chance to share their stories with a new audience.”

Stevenson history students worked alongside Professor Johnston to conduct research, curate their findings, and, ultimately, bring the exhibit to life. Created through a partnership between the Maryland Military Historical Society of Baltimore and the University, the exhibit was funded by the Baltimore National Heritage Area, the George Rich Foundation, the Maryland Military Historical Society, and generous private donors.

Since its completion in 2019, In Freedom’s Name has toured Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Consisting of 68 panels, it is the largest traveling exhibit of its kind in the United States. Although stretching for nearly 150 feet when set up in a straight line, during its time in Annapolis the exhibit will be housed in multiple state buildings.

The State of the State address will occur on Wednesday, February 1 at 12:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Maryland Public Television and YouTube.

Stevenson University serves more than 2,700 traditional undergraduates on its campus in Owings Mills, Maryland, as well as graduate and professional students through Stevenson University Online and doctoral students in its Doctor of Psychology program. Stevenson is driven by an educational mission to provide exceptional experiences in and out of the classroom, create career connections that foster students’ professional success after college, and offer a supportive community in which all students can grow intellectually, socially, and professionally.

In Freedom’s Name, pictured above on exhibit at Stevenson University, has traveled around the state sharing the history and stories of African American Marylanders and their contributions to our nation’s military history.