A shining star has joined the firmament at Maryland’s leading African American museum. Harriet Tubman, the Union Army spy and nurse who led scores of enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad, has taken her place beside Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass at the newly renamed Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum in Annapolis.
Housed in a historic Franklin Street church saved from the wrecking ball by local activists, the museum displays its new identity proudly. The façade now features graphics of its namesake trio as well as a restored sculpture of Tubman clutching her rifle and vevé, a symbolic staff. The vevé, which had been stolen several years ago, was recovered and adorned with new beadwork for the occasion by the artist, Dr. Joyce J. Scott.
The long-awaited addition of Tubman embodies the museum’s central theme, according to executive director Chanel C. Johnson. “The stories of these three Marylanders are united,” she explained. “They’re freedom fighters, icons, and examples of how Black power is rooted in the history of Black resistance. We know that we stand on the shoulders of greats.”
Banneker, born in 1731, earned fame as the first African American man of science and mathematics. Douglass, a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, and statesman, was the leading Black advocate for civil rights in the 19th century.
The museum, part of the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Network, was founded in 1984. It welcomes 10,000 in-person visitors annually and tens of thousands more online. In addition to the permanent collection and changing exhibits, it explores contemporary issues through livestreams, virtual panel discussions, and educational posts. “Our goal is to deepen understanding of history in our own lives and connect to what Black leaders in Maryland were fighting for,” Johnson says.
Part of that effort is providing a showcase for artistic works that speak to the African American experience. In a major exhibition for 2025 entitled “Sacred Spaces,” Maryland artist Jabari Jefferson has created a dazzling large-scale collection of paintings, mixed-media pieces and tapestry that he describes as “shrines and altars.”
“How do you adorn a space that’s already sacred?” he asks rhetorically. “This museum has always had a lot of energy, and I believe in the transfer of energy—the idea that the essence of a person can be conveyed through objects. My work uses found objects, recycled fabrics, disposables repurposed into art—even found dirt. I found it very humbling to be the artist to bring the museum into a new realm with Tubman and use her as a muse for this conversation.”

Photos by Christian Smooth
Jefferson even holds a staff in his hand for inspiration when he’s working, channeling Tubman in his creative process.
The installation covers two floors of the museum and will remain on display through January 2026. It’s a bold undertaking for BDT, and Jefferson salutes the museum’s board for supporting his vision: “They wanted art, and I wanted a spectacle. But they trusted in me, and the timing was right.”
Early on, the museum made sure the community was engaged in the making of “Sacred Spaces,” inviting residents to contribute to the found objects Jefferson would use. “We wanted to show people that they are connected to the work on the wall, that they are a part of this,” Johnson explains.

Photo by Executive Office of Governor
In the course of his creation, Jefferson made unexpected connections. A stained-glass window from the original Mt. Moriah Church, still a centerpiece of the building, prompted him to research the origins of stained glass. He learned that stained glass techniques had been brought to Europe by Arabic Moors—and then discovered that Benjamin Banneker was of Moorish descent. “His people had been doing this for generations,” Jefferson marvels. “What an inspiration! How do I communicate that to the viewer?”
His goal, he says, is to “create an opportunity for thinking to begin. I hope visitors will think new thoughts, or create new thoughts,” as they encounter his work.
Viewers will have their own reactions to “Sacred Spaces,” but are sure to be moved by Jefferson’s rich and thoughtful assemblage of individually charged pieces. The show not only evokes the spiritual dimension of the African American experience, but also elevates one of the core values of the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum: “Using art or pen to speak out against injustice.”
The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 84 Franklin Street, off Church Circle in Annapolis. Admission is free. Learn more at bdmuseum.maryland.gov.