Annapolis Presents New Speaker Series During Black History Month

The City of Annapolis will host a series of three speaker events, “The State of Black Annapolis,” to coincide with Black History Month. The speaker series will kick off from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 with four speakers discussing Annapolis’ “Past” in the areas of Economics, Education, Elections and Entertainment.

The series will be presented in-person at the Michael E. Busch branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library, located at 1410 West Street in Annapolis. The series will also be livestreamed on City of Annapolis TV, Facebook.com/CityofAnnapolis, and Youtube.com/CityofAnnapolis. 

The following Tuesday, February 8, speakers will present on the same four topics in a conversation about Annapolis in the “Present,” and on Feb. 15 the speakers will look to Annapolis’ “Future.” On the last Saturday of the month, from 12 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 27, the City will host a Black Wall Street Business Expo at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center, 273 Hilltop Lane in Annapolis to showcase black-owned businesses.

“We look forward to hearing from the speakers,” said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. “But we are also interested in hearing from the public, as we engage in a dialogue and explore each of these issue areas as a community. I hope you’ll join us.” 

Each of the speaker events will be emceed by Erica Griswold. All of the events will be archived on the City’s YouTube channel. The sponsors of the event are the Anne Arundel County Public Library and the City of Annapolis, office of Mayor Gavin Buckley. 

For more information, contact Adetola Ajayi [email protected]. 

Speaker lineup:

• Feb. 1 (Past): Janice Hayes Williams, Ald. Rhonda Pindell Charles, Carl Snowden and Vince Leggett
• Feb. 8 (Present): Shelton Willett, Pastor Sheryl Menendez, Nyia Curtis and Carrol Hynson
• Feb. 15 (Future): Michelle Coates, Stacy King, Ald. DaJuan Gay and Marcus Hayes