Sandy Spring, MD – Sandy Spring Museum announces the receipt of a major National Endowment for the Humanities Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant, which provides emergency relief to institutions and organizations working in the humanities. The $92,477 grant enables the Museum to continue humanities-focused projects that would otherwise be cancelled due to the financial impact of COVID-19.

The grant funds research on the historically black communities of Sandy Spring and the digitization of the Museum’s archives. “We are grateful to the U.S. Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities for providing us with this opportunity to support these essential programs during this time of need. Our goals are to share untold stories and make the Museum’s valued resources available to the public in digital formats as quickly as possible,” said Allison Weiss, executive director of Sandy Spring Museum.

At the turn of the 20th century, the black population of Sandy Spring was several times larger than the white population. The Museum’s research is putting specific names and places to a story that is largely undocumented. At this critical time when the United States is grappling with centuries of racism, Sandy Spring Museum’s research tells the story of a thriving community that was known as a safe haven for free blacks and formerly enslaved men and women.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.

ABOUT SANDY SPRING MUSEUM

Sandy Spring Museum supports community-driven cultural arts and educational programs. We gather community to build a sense of place and belonging. Sandy Spring Museum is located at 17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860. For more information, visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org

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