Baltimore History Evenings, 2026

This monthly lecture series features illuminating presentations on Baltimore history, followed by discussion.

It is free and all are welcome.

Talks are held on the third Thursday of the month from January through June at the

2521 St. Paul Street

Each evening starts with a reception at 7 pm
and talks begin at 7:30 pm.

Our Upcoming Schedule:

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Ghost Rivers and Baltimore’s Buried Streams

Presented by Bruce Willen

Discover the hidden streams that run beneath Baltimore and how they were buried during the city’s development. Artist Bruce Willen brought one of these lost streams back to the surface in his acclaimed Ghost Rivers public art project. His talk connects Baltimore’s watershed to social history and the evolving relationship between natural and human environments.

Bruce Willen is an artist, designer, musician, and creator of Ghost Rivers, a public art project that explores Baltimore’s buried waterways. Principal of Public Mechanics, a studio focused on art, design, and placemaking for public spaces.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

The Legacy of Trailblazing African American Attorneys of Baltimore City

Presented by Domonique Flowers

For generations, Black lawyers in Maryland have used the legal system to combat racial discrimination. Attorney and historian Domonique Flowers reveals how late-19th-century Black attorneys laid the groundwork with their legal challenges to segregation. The second generation went even further, turning the law into a mechanism to advance Black rights in many arenas.

Domonique Flowers is an attorney whose experience spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Adjunct professor of American legal history at the University of Baltimore. Earned a J.D. from Howard University and an M.A. in history from UMBC.

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Smash the Color Line: Interracial Working-Class Solidarity in 19th and 20th Century Maryland

Presented by Alexis Cathcart

From Reconstruction through the mid-20th century, Black and white workers—caulkers, dockworkers, and steelworkers—built fragile but powerful alliances that challenged racial segregation and economic inequality. Historian Alexis Cathcart highlights examples of interracial working-class solidarity in Baltimore, showing how shared material conditions and global movements from socialism to communism impacted local labor fights.

Alexis Cathcart is a PhD candidate in history at Morgan State University whose dissertation addresses Black southern migrants and radical politics in the 20th century. Her work has appeared in both scholarly journals and popular outlets.

Thursday, April 16, 2026
The Red Scare in 1950s Baltimore
Presented by Bill Barry
Former director of Labor Studies at CCBC-Dundalk

Thursday, May 21, 2026
From FOIA Lawsuits to Reparative Actions:
An Archival Process of Uncovering and Confronting Legacies of Oppression
Presented by Andrea Conte
Baltimore-based filmmaker, writer, and public records researcher

Thursday, June 18, 2026
The Graffiti Squad: From the Baltimore Mural Program to Graffiti Alley, 1975–Present
Presented by Menika Dirkson
Associate professor of African American History, Morgan State University