We often forget about those in the background working magic. This month we said good-bye to one of those people. Marilyn Hatza joined the BNHA Board at the start of the pandemic, we never were able to have an in-person meeting. That was okay because I’ve known Marilyn since 2009. We immediately hit it off back then. She taught me so much about historic preseveration and Maryland’s comprehensive African American history, I was always in awe of her. She was passionate about her work, she was authentic, something we had in common. She was always doing her magic. I’m going to miss her greatly, but she’ll never be forgotten. If you didn’t have a chance to know her visit any African American site on the Eastern Shore or in Southern Maryland, those places mattered because of Marilyn. She’s gone but can never be forgotten, her work surrounds us.
On January 2, 2023 Congress reauthorized the Baltimore National Heritage Area for another 15 years, through the passage of Senate Bill 1942. The significance of this Congressional Act was the matching of the National Heritage Area boundary with the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority’s Boundary (amended in 2019). We would like to express a huge thank you to our Congressional delegation, Senator Ben Cardin, Senator Chris van Hollen and Representative Kweisi Mfume for their support on Baltimore's behalf.
Thanks to all of you that came out and supported BNHA's first holiday open house. I want to personally thank all of our partners who provided a taste of Baltimore tourism for our attendees. It was so much fun that we will have to do it again!
In our continued efforts to make sure that BNHA is equitably serving the Heritage Area, we are launching our Interactive Equity Investment Map. You will be able to see in real time BNHA's investment in its boundary. Read on for more details on our new interactive tool.
Grants are front and center this month. BNHA's Small Capital Grant winners are listed below and don't miss the chance to attend an MHAA workshop to be in top-form when you submit. The sessions are virtual and can aid you in making your project a reality. Now is the time to fund your next project in the Heritage Area.
There is a lot to be excited about this month at BNHA!
