A museum exhibition that shows colorful panels hanging from the ceiling and two spotlights on the floor.

Banners in a museum gallery that talk about the history of lynching.

The title panel of the Lynching in Maryland exhibition.

A haunting interactive screen that shows the silhouettes of people juxtaposed with newspaper articles and maps.

A multimedia screen that shows haunting imagery.

A view of an interactive that allows people to write on a white board.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Lynching in Maryland Exhibit

This exhibition presents the history of extrajudicial violence and racial terror that took place (and still takes place) in the state of Maryland. A primary goal is to emphasize the human toll this form of racial terror had on the Black community and the damage the legacy of lynching continues to inflict on the Black population in particular and on American society in general.

Advising on the exhibit team, The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project secured soil from several of the lynching sites in Maryland that are displayed in conjunction with a dynamic and haunting interactive video projection that identifies the locations of each lynching. The exhibit incorporates soundscapes and audio experiences to create an immersive experience. Additionally, a “Take Action” and “Visitor Feedback” area provides opportunities for visitor agency, encouraging active engagement with the content and fostering a dialogue on the impact of racial violence in Maryland’s history.

The exhibition includes accessible elements such as touch activated multimedia components and braille text.