She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory

“She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory” examines 250 years of United States history through a Black Feminist perspective. The exhibition brings together work by 17 Maryland-based and internationally recognized Black women artists, considering how historical memory shapes the present and how art can imagine Afrofuturist possibilities for the future.

The exhibition features artists including Elizabeth Catlett, Dr. Joan M. E. Gaither, Charlyn Griffith-Oro, Khaleelah I. L. Harris, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Fabiola Jean-Louis, Jeannine Kayembe-Oro, and Zsudayka. One featured work is Fabiola Jean-Louis’s “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” created in 2019. Interpretive programming will accompany the exhibition throughout the year.

When: February 7, 2026–January 16, 2027

Venue: Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

Curator: Martina Dodd

Curatorial support: Leslie Rose

Artists: Elizabeth Catlett, Dr. Joan M. E. Gaither, Charlyn Griffith-Oro, Khaleelah I. L. Harris, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Fabiola Jean-Louis, Jeannine Kayembe-Oro, Zsudayka, and other Maryland-based and internationally recognized Black women artists

Featured work: Fabiola Jean-Louis’s “Follow the Drinking Gourd” (2019), measuring 33 by 26 inches

Interpretive programming: Dynamic interpretive programming is scheduled throughout the year.

Tickets: Price not available