Celebrating Historic Sharp Leadenhall’s Banners

We’re celebrating a milestone in community preservation. With support from us and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, Historic Sharp Leadenhall installed 60 vibrant banners throughout the neighborhood.

These banners feature the faces of iconic Black leaders like Elijah Cummings, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thurgood Marshall—all with deep ties to this historic community.

NDC volunteer Larissa Hawkins listened to feedback about what imagery should be included, and that the community wanted deep, saturated colors to withstand fading from the sun.

These banners are more than symbols—they’re a declaration. C. Matthew Hill from the Public Justice Center noted that they push back against “rapidly losing identity as a historic Black community in the midst of the overwhelmingly white South Baltimore peninsula.”

A Neighborhood of Firsts

Founded in the 1700ʼs by free African Americans, Historic Sharp Leadenhall is Baltimoreʼs oldest continuous Afro-American Community. Sharp Leadenhall founded the first Abolition Society in the south and the first purpose-built school for African Americans. This area was known for thriving black-owned businesses, stunning architecture, and strong community.

You can learn all about this amazing history on their beautiful website.

However, Sharp Leadenhall faced significant displacement during highway construction and urban renewal in the mid-20th century. Longtime resident John Williams captures the spirit of this project: “Change is inevitable, but we refuse to accept having no say in it.”