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Can you hear it? The
crunch of gravel under your tires, the hum of the car
engine, the laughter of friends and chatter of loved ones.
They're the sounds of a road trip; of good times and new
adventures. Under clear summer skies or a soft autumn
breeze, Baltimore is a city of wondrous discovery. During
fragrant spring Sundays or crisp winter nights, Baltimore
has so much to share.
The history of African Americans in Baltimore is one
of power, courage and tenacity. Our city has been home
to many "freedom fighters" — individuals who
chose liberty, transformation and human rights over comfort
and personal security.
 Frederick
Douglass moved to Baltimore City from Maryland's
Eastern Shore as an 8-year-old boy. Born into slavery,
Douglass taught himself how to read and write, though
doing so was against state law. Even as Douglass struggled
against the physical indignities of slavery, he maintained
an unshakable belief that no man had the right to "own"
him, in mind, body or spirit. His convictions propelled
him to become a famous abolitionist, publisher, writer,
orator and great American thinker. A statue of Frederick
Douglass stands at Morgan State University,
and during the summer months you can take the Frederick
Douglass "Path to Freedom" Walking Tour.
 Fifty
years after Douglass' death in 1895, another Baltimore
hero was following in his footsteps and continuing the
fight for equality and civil rights. Thurgood
Marshall, born and raised in West Baltimore,
became America's first African American Supreme Court
Justice in 1967. But more than a decade before his appointment
to the Supreme Court, Marshall had already made national
news. As Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,
Marshall led the legal team that won Brown v. The Board
of Education, the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case which
marked the end of legal segregation in America's schools.
Today, visitors can schedule a tour of the NAACP's
national headquarters in Baltimore, and view
a life-size replica of Marshall at The National
Great Blacks In Wax Museum.
Baltimore City was visited by 13 million people last
year. They spent 2.95 billion dollars.
Over a one hundred community festivals, concerts, and
events are organized yearly by Baltimoreans. A seasonal
calendar of events is published by the Baltimore
Office of Promotion and the Arts.
The
Convention Center's web site is an award-winner
with interactive floor plans and links to visitor resources
such as maps and directions.
Introducing ArtsNet,
Baltimore City's resource for organizations, programs
and venues showcasing the visual and performing arts.
Hotel
Information
Free
Maps of Baltimore and Maryland
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