Category: News

AARCH Society continues to expand our partnerships to cultivate new funding streams, increase our donor base, and reach a wider audience and increase awareness of our mission.

Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

The Episcopal Church of Maryland Daughters of the King invited Executive Director Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch to discuss the Reparations Grant awarded to AARCH Society during the Daughters’ Fall Assembly held at the Bishop Claggett Center. We are grateful to the Daughters, which donated funds to support costs for exhibit lighting and furnishings for the planned AARCH Society African American Heritage Center.

Lafayette Bicentennial in Frederick Committee

AARCH Society partnered with the Lafayette Bicentennial in Frederick Committee to commemorate Marquis Lafayette’s visit to Frederick, MD during his 1824 Farewell Tour of America. Executive Director Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch was one of three historians who spoke at the event. Her presentation, “Patriotism and Slavery in Frederick County, MD: Before, During and After Marquis Lafayette’s 1824 Visit” drew from materials in AARCH Society’s Collection and included ongoing research about African American patriots from Frederick County who served as soldiers in the War for Independence.

“The participation of AARCH’s Executive Director, Cheryl Gooch, in the recent Lafayette History Symposium provided depth and context to the Marquis de Lafayette’s support for the American Revolution and his visit to Frederick,” said Theresa Michel, Lafayette Bicentennial in Frederick Committee. “As a staunch abolitionist and advocate for equality, he served alongside African American patriots while, 50 years later throughout America, he was a guest at private homes supported by enslaved workers, including the home of his Frederick host, Col. John McPherson. Lafayette strove to resolve this dichotomy in favor of African Americans’ freedom throughout his life.”

Thank you to The Frederick News Post for its feature on the 2024 Living Treasures Banquet, which honored the oldest living African Americans in Frederick County. The sold-out breakfast event, held on Saturday, April 20 at the Frederick American Legion Hall, is a long-standing tradition of the African American Resources and Cultural Heritage Society. This year’s was the first time it had been held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Lewis, Frederick News Post

We are deeply grateful to the following Living Treasures Sponsors who made this event possible:

Emerald Sponsors

• Asian American Center of Frederick
• Sharon K. Brown
• Colbert/Ball Tax Services
• Delaplaine Foundation
• George Street Services
• Lee Building Maintenance
• Rollins Life Celebration Center

Ruby Sponsors

• The Elks Mountain City Lodge #382
• Gentlemen with a  Purpose
• Robert & Janet Allen Moore
• Road Knights of Frederick, MD

Pearl Sponsors

• Asian American Center of Frederick SCP Program
• Asbury United Methodist Church
• Lynda Weedon Bowie
• Rose Chaney
• Kavonte Duckett
• Sonja Brown-Jenkins
• Sandra Makel
• One Love Foundation
• Derek Shakleford

AARCH Society and the Jack and Jill of America Foundation Western Maryland Chapter came together in Frederick, Md., on October 28 for a mission-inspired gala event. See photos by Epic Media Photography below.

The inaugural Unity Ball 2023 raised funds for AARCH Society’s African American Heritage Center and funds to support students of HCBUs who have financial needs that are not filled by scholarships.

Close to 200 guests mingled, dined on delicious food from Southern Style Bistro, and danced at the New Spire Arts Center, many wearing Mardi Gras style masks in keeping with the ball’s theme. Attendees included Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor and members of the AARCH Society and Jack and Jill of America.

Guests bid on silent auction items and a collection of African masks were on sale. African drummers gave a live performance to lead guests into the main room where AARCH Society Executive Director Renee Gooch kicked off the event with a speech celebrating the importance of education, history, and story-telling. AARCH Society Honorary Board Member Mary Harris received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of work providing research, program support, and more.

We would like to thank all those who attended and our many sponsors for their support and donations: Ausherman Family Foundation, New Spire Arts, Benefactor Events, My Red Bow, Old Farm Liquors, Southern Style Bistro, Caroline Gessert, Event Decor DMV, i-VisioNet Org, Nicole Sideris, The UPS Store #5907, Tracy Boyd, and the Rural Maryland Council.