Sumner Hall Awarded $49,700 Grant from The Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded one of its 33 Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) for 2022 to Sumner Hall. These grants support activities that build the capacity of African American museums and support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums.

The project – Unlocking the Commodore Collection – is to develop educational materials based on the collection for use in middle and high school classrooms in Kent County. This recently-discovered treasure trove of papers document the early experiences of African Americans in Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties. This project will enable Sumner Hall to create educational materials for classroom use so that young people can learn about this significant area of African American History and Culture.

The project builds upon the collaborative partnerships that Sumner Hall has developed with three learning centers of Washington College (the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, the Department of Education, and the Miller Library) along with the Kent County Public Schools.

Based on the materials in the Commodore Collection, we will develop curricula for use in middle and high school classrooms. We will also tell the story of Congo Mango, as revealed in the papers and his Mander family descendants. Key members of the Curricula Development Team include Ruth Shoge, Cheryl Hoopes, and Cheryl Vauls of Sumner Hall and Professors Sara A. Clarke-De Reza, Michelle Johnson, and Erin Counihan of Washington College’s Department of Education. The materials will be tested in the spring of 2023 and scheduled for use in the 2023-2024 school year.

“Children need to know their history.” said Larry Wilson, President of Sumner Hall. “This project will allow us to fulfill our mission of increasing the understanding of the African American experience within overall context of American history and culture.”