Despite the harshness and cruelty that slavery inflicted on people of color, whether they were enslaved or free, these people derived creative methods to learn to read and write as an essential first step toward freedom.

Frederick Douglass said that it was through reading that he first heard “the silver trump of freedom.” Thus, it was literacy, the ability to read, write, and understand information, that showed Douglass and countless other blacks the pathway from slavery to freedom.

Through her Virtual Histories webinar Being Literate, Being Free, Dr. Joanne Martin will highlight historical personalities for whom literacy was the key to a future of freedom and hope for a people who were coming to understand that “If you would keep a people enslaved, refuse to teach them to read”.

Meet the Speaker 

Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin founded The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum in Baltimore, over thirty years ago.

The Museum is the nation’s first wax museum concentrating on black history, life and culture. It is a national attraction and has been featured on major television networks (CNN, NBC,BET, etc.); magazines (Jet, Essence, Black Enterprise, etc.); and newspapers (The Washington Post, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc.).

Dr. Joanne Martin received a BA from Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida; MA degrees from Atlanta University, Atlanta Georgia and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio: and her PhD from Howard University, Washington, DC.

A noted historian, educator and researcher, she performs most of the Museum’s curatorial duties and has laid the groundwork for both architectural and exhibition design for the expanded Museum. Her principal role is to ensure the intellectual integrity of all interpretive materials and approaches, particularly relating to exhibition concepts, storyline, and texts. She also provides guidance and direction to the Museum Educator in identifying curriculum-appropriate educational programming for k-12 students and alignment with U.S. and State of Maryland curriculum standards.

Upon registering, you should recieve an email confirmation with a link to request the Zoom link. If you have any questions, please contact Meghan Hudson at mhudson@aiabalt.com at least one hour before the start of the event.