The Lines We Cross: 250 Years of Maryland Forging America

The Lines We Cross: 250 Years of Maryland Forging America is a multi-floor exhibition examining how Black Marylanders navigated geographic, social, and political boundaries while building communities and shaping American history and culture. Set in Maryland’s border-state landscape, where freedom and slavery existed alongside one another, the exhibition explores resistance, craftsmanship, creativity, and the ongoing pursuit of liberation.

The exhibition unfolds across three floors. The first focuses on abolition and resistance, including Frederick Douglass’s commitment to literacy and Harriet Tubman’s strategies for escape and liberation. The second highlights Black artisans and the skill, labor, and innovation that helped build Maryland’s infrastructure. The third considers artistic expression, tracing how lived experience became art, music, and vision through figures such as Billie Holiday and others.

When: July 31, 2026–October 31, 2027

Location: All three floors of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Hours: Monday and Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, noon–5 p.m.

Tickets: Included with museum admission; admission price not available

Exhibition Areas: TO BREAK: Abolition; TO BUILD: Artisans; and TO BECOME: Artistic Expression

Featured Figures: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Billie Holiday, and other Black Marylanders whose work influenced the state and the nation

Curatorial and Project Team: Terri Lee Freeman, Robert T. Parker, Ricky Parker, Imani Y. Haynes, Em Davidson, Terry Taylor-Nock, Arthur Brown, and Aminah Phinnessee

Presented By: Bank of America, Baltimore Community Foundation, and Maryland 250 Commission

Resources: The museum provides an exhibition video, press release, and acknowledgments connected with the exhibition.

Venue: Reginald F. Lewis Museum