Webinar Recap: Historic/Self Preservation with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

In the first of many free webinars to replace our annual Old Line State Summit, Preservation Maryland hosted over 100 registrants to learn about the work of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture for a one-hour webinar titled, “Historic Preservation/Self Preservation.”

Attendees heard from Chanel Compton about the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, founded in the late 1960s, that is one of few such organizations nationally. Additionally, the Commission operates the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis, where Compton is the Executive Director, and also helps fund preservation projects across the state through the African American Heritage Preservation Program Grants for Capital Projects in partnership with the Maryland Historical Trust.

As the Executive Director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Chanel Compton is responsible for leading the programmatic plans and operations for the Banneker Douglass Museum, a component of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. As the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage, the Banneker-Douglass Museum serves to document, to interpret, and to promote African American history and culture (particularly in Maryland) through exhibitions, programs, and projects in order to improve the understanding and appreciating of America’s rich cultural diversity for all. Supporting the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, which is a unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives — an executive-department agency, whose mandate to coordinate outreach efforts to communities, organizations, and local governments across Maryland serves as a unifying principle for all its departments. Previously, Chanel was the Executive Director of Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center. Additionally, Chanel currently serves as  Board Chair of the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center and board member to Afro Charities, and Future History Now. Compton earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University and went on to complete a graduate degree in Arts Management from American University.

Next, we heard from Reggie Turner of Turner Wealth Management and Chairman of the Western Maryland Community Development Corporation about his work in Hagerstown, specifically, in revitalizing the historic Jonathan Street neighborhood. The area is a long-established African American neighborhood that hosted several Green Book sites and countless businesses, community organizations, meetings halls, and other community hubs through history. The CDC is now actively involved in a project with Preservation Maryland’s revolving fund to save an 1830s log cabin on Jonathan Street.

Reggie Turner is the Founder and President of Turner Wealth Management located in Hagerstown, Maryland where he resides. He has been a financial advisor for 20 years. Turner is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University, where he received a BS in business administration. Prior to founding Turner Wealth Management spent his career as an advisor for a Wall Street wealth management firm and two Fortune 500 banks as a Vice President. His focus is on retirement planning, protection planning, and wealth-building strategies. He has served as an advisor for several Historically Black Colleges and University investment clubs, presented seminars for major corporations such as Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Potomac Edison, and a host of other companies, and mentored children’s groups on the basics of investing. Reggie was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) in 2017 and he serves on the Western Maryland Advisory Committee of the Maryland Civil Rights Commission (MCC). Turner co-founded and serves as the Chairman of the Western Maryland Community Development Corporation (WMCDC). Turner also serves on the Meritus Healthcare Foundation Board, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra (MSO), and the Washington County Historical Society. Turner was also named to the 2020 class of Leadership Maryland. Additionally, he has coached boys and girl’s youth basketball and continues to serve his community in many facets primarily as an advocate for African American historical preservation and economic empowerment.

MORE WEBINARS COMING UP

This is the first of several online webinars being offered by Preservation Maryland instead of our annual Old Line State Summit. All sessions will be offered free and recorded thanks to support from Maryland Historical Trust, Whiting-Turner, Rural Maryland Council, Ruff Roofers, Brennan+Company Architects, and Worcester Eisenbrandt, Inc.