Envisioning the Arts and Humanities

Alexandra Cenatus is a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and also serves as the Director of Programs at Maryland Humanities, where she works to make the humanities accessible and engaging. Her doctoral research explores how Haiti’s social transformation affects culinary traditions and eating practices within Haitian communities. At Maryland Humanities, Cenatus creates community-centered programs while advancing language accessibility through multifaceted strategies. In 2021, she co-authored the Haitian American Dream Timeline, a digital humanities initiative that chronicles the historical trajectory of Haitian immigration to the United States, alongside collaborators Margarita Vargas-Betancourt and Ivanna Moreno. Cenatus extends her research and programming expertise through service on the Maryland 250 Commission, the Baltimore 250 Commission, and as a board member of the Haitian Studies Association.

Lindsey Baker is the CEO of Maryland Humanities, Maryland’s statewide humanities council connecting Marylanders to the power of history, literature, culture, and the humanities. Under her leadership, Maryland Humanities has expanded its reach across the state and made the humanities more accessible to audiences who might wonder, “What does the word humanities mean?”. Lindsey holds a Master’s in History with a concentration in Museum Studies and “grew up” in the small museum world, where she learned to do pretty much anything on a shoestring budget and with the right partners. She lives in Laurel, Maryland with her husband, two kids, and a houseful of pets.

Terri Lee Freeman was named President of The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) in June 2023 after serving as its Executive Director since February 2021. The seventh person to helm the State’s largest museum devoted to African American history, Freeman is responsible for providing strategic leadership in furthering the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. Under her leadership, the Lewis Museum has developed outstanding interactive exhibits, including a 20th anniversary commemorative exhibit on the life and legacy of Reginald F. Lewis. She has increased partnerships with organizations and museums across the state. In 2024, a collaboration with the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project led to a new permanent installation, Lynching in Maryland. A frequently sought-after speaker earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism/communication arts from the University of Dayton and her master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University.

Chanel Johnson is inspired and passionate about her role as Executive Director for the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (BDTM) and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). Chanel has been a life-long supporter of museums, stating “A museum can be such a powerful place. As a young person, it was my initial visit to museums and galleries that opened my eyes and mind to new perspectives, cultures, and history. African American museums are instrumental in inspiring a new generation of leaders and innovators because it is a place of empowerment, of learning, and a place of individual and collective transformation.”

As Executive Director of BDTM and MCAAHC, Chanel is dedicated to serving the great state of Maryland to amplify and support African American heritage initiatives, groups, and museums to gain further access to resources, partnerships, and reach new audiences and heights. Chanel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University and completed a graduate degree in Arts Management from American University.

She is also a visual artist, expressing Black diasporic experiences, history, and identity through portraits, abstract paintings, and mosaics. She has a home and art studio in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jaelon Moaney is a descendant of two founding Black families from Talbot and Kent Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023 as the youngest to serve on the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture, established in 1969 as the first-ever ethnic commission in America. Moaney currently serves as the Deputy Director of Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. He has extensive experience in public policy, serving Marylanders at every level of government. He is also the founder of The Needle’s Eye Academy, an organization focused on the literary future of the Delmarva Peninsula. Moaney has dedicated service to the Talbot 250 Commission, Uptown and Beyond Advisory Council, Rural Maryland Council, One Maryland One Book Selection Committee, Maryland Sea Grant’s External Advisory Board, Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation Board of Directors, Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice Just Futures Advisory Council, Williams-Mystic Alumni Council, and the Preservation Maryland Board of Directors