APRIL 2025

Museum of Historic Annapolis celebrates 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act with Community Gallery exhibition

Now open in the Community Gallery at the Museum of Historic Annapolis, “The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Annapolis Activism” celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Act’s passage and its impact on the Annapolis community.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark victory in the United States people’s ongoing quest for a more just and inclusive nation. The Act prohibits unequal treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It enforces the constitutional right to vote, bans discriminatory practices in employment, and ended segregation in schools, businesses, and other public facilities. With the Act’s passage, the federal government offered its broad power to advance the nation towards a more perfect union.

The Act paved the way for new debates and legislation to afford the nation’s founding promises of equality and justice to all its citizens. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Act’s passage, we recognize the struggle for full equality in the United States continues. This exhibit shares about the breaking down of barriers immediately following the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and includes the stories of local Annapolitans such as Deborah Barber, who participated in local protests for equal rights as a high school student in the 1960’s.

A curated Book List accompanies the exhibit, and provides the opportunity for visitors to expand their knowledge further about the Civil Rights Movement, all of which can be found in the Anne Arundel County Public Library!

 

---