Collections
The museum's permanent collection is a gateway to the history and living culture of Maryland African Americans. The collection includes art, artifacts, textiles, material culture, photographs, rare books, and other items. Some of our largest collections focus on African American military experience, early American jazz recordings, and Maryland community history.

The Scipio Collection
The L. Albert Scipio Collection is an integral part of America‚s military history. Dr. L. Albert Scipio has spent his entire life collecting military artifacts since being a child mascot for the 24th Infantry. The collection consists of artifacts from the U.S. Army, such as rare books, photographs, insignia(s), documents, videotapes, oral histories and original uniforms. Also included in the collection is a rare collection Native American scout artifacts as part of the African American military and also thought to be of African descent. The uniform collection represents objects as early as 1872 to World War II. In addition to the rare books, Dr. Scipio has included personal books he has written on African Americans in the military.

Genevieve McMillan African Art Collection
Comprises nearly one hundred objects of African art and material culture, including masks, decorative items, and household implements. 

Louis G. and Shirley Hecht Collection
Approximately 2000 jazz records (78 RPMs), from 1920s-1950s have been acquired to date. This collecting initiative is still in progress with plans for the museum to receive LP recordings, jazz music publications, photographs, and ephemera.

General collections of material culture artifacts, photographs, and other items related to state and local history
Our ongoing collections efforts focus on items of relevance to Maryland African American experience.

Do you have something to donate? The museum acquires items that help fulfill the mission of “collecting” and “preserving” materials related to Maryland’s African American history and culture. To inquire about donating to the collection, contact Department of Collections and Exhibitions