Saturday, April 20th from 6 - 8 pm
Joe’s Movement Emporium welcomes Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center’s exhibition, “A Space of Their Own”. The exhibition details the story of black residency in the first four incorporated black townships in Maryland and the history of residential segregation in Prince George’s County.
About the Exhibition
“A Space of Their Own” is an exhibition that celebrates the pioneering spirit of the people who founded the four original majority African American municipalities incorporated in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The exhibition recognizes the power of the shared commitment to create formal, thriving African-American communities. Although there are several unincorporated areas in the County with equally rich histories, we chose to focus on the incorporated towns. Together, these towns represent a microcosm of African American life in Prince George’s County. “A Space of Their Own” is really a tale of four cities.
These townships were founded for many common reasons. Incorporation was a way to get basic services from the county and the state, to take advantage of and build economic opportunities, and to organize a lasting community for future generations. The founding of these places demonstrates a visionary commitment to the betterment of the four towns and the county. This exhibition features four installations that identify each area’s individual character, and common institutions across the four towns. The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center proudly celebrates these towns, their struggles and triumphs. The people who have lived and continue to live in these communities have truly created a space of their own.
Curators Jon West-Bey, Curator PGAAMCC Gina Vaughn, Historian
