IMLS Convening for Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC)
Wednesday, May 25^th, Washington DC

Our exciting IMLS (Institute for Museums and Library Services) grant has allowed us to hire a scholar in residence assisted by a humanities expert, create costumed reenactor programming, develop school curriculum resources, and plan to update and republish material in the 1976 book, Concord: Its Black History. This conference is an opportunity for us to share experiences with other grantees, learn from each other, and strengthen our professional network.

Robbins House board members Maria Madison and Liz Clayton, along with Humanities Director Elon Cook, will not only attend this conference, but will take a day to follow the 1860’s trail of Ellen Garrison to…

• The Baltimore train station where Ellen was thrown out of the segregated section of the waiting room, to
• the Baltimore City Criminal Court, to research the court dockets and court minutes and try to determine – finally! – whether the court case against the train stationmaster ruled for or against Ellen Garrison and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and then finally to
• Port Deposit, Maryland to find the site of the schoolhouse where Ellen taught newly freed men, women and children after the Civil War.