Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives

09/19/2024

Tapas for Teachers....starts at 5pm! See you tonight at the DC History Center!

09/17/2024

We will be closed for an important exterior restoration project at the main entrance of the historic Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives .

For those who volunteer or may have a previous appointment you may use the rear courtyard entrance. Call the front desk at 202-730-0478 to alert of your arrival.

We apologize for any in convenience this may cause.

We will resume regular public hours of Mon - Fri, 10am - 5pm on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

09/11/2024

In memory of members of the DCPS community lost on September 11, 2001: including the students & faculty from Backus MS, Ketcham ES, and Leckie ES, along with representatives of the museum’s 17th Street neighbor, National Geographic.

There was an outpouring of love and support from all around the world. The following are examples of some of the momentos that were donated to the schools in honor of those lost:
East African Soapstone Sculpture lovingly donated to Backus MS;
Quilt lovingly donated to Leckie ES.

These, and others, were donated to Sumner’s collection in 2008 during school closures and/or renovations. We hold each special piece dear and are proud to preserve them on behalf of the DC Public School Community.

Here are two articles written on the 20th observance in 2016:
https://wjla.com/news/september-11th-20th-anniversary/theyre-still-here-with-us-remembering-the-six-dc-students-and-teachers-lives-lost-on-september-11th

https://news.nationalgeographic.org/911-remembering-ann-and-joe/

Today, we remember those lives lost. May each of them continue to rest peacefully as their memory lives on.

09/03/2024

https://events.humanitix.com/tapas-for-teachers

It’s back to school season! Join us at Tapas for Teachers on Thursday, September 19 at the DC History Center () to celebrate the back to school season with Ford’s Theatre () and your favorite local history sites! Enjoy free snacks and good conversation while you learn about teacher resources.

Educators working with students of all levels and subjects are welcome!

The DC History Center with Ford’s Theatre and other local history sites host Tapas for Teachers, a social event for educators.

09/03/2024

Sumner Museum wants to wish a to all our DC Students, Educators and Supporting Teams!

As always, we hope the 2024-2025 school year brings each of you experiences that engage diverse audiences, facilitate meaningful discovery, and nurture your sense of pride in DC Public Education.

Have a successful school year: LET'S CONTINUE TO MAKE HISTORY!!!

05/01/2024

We are excited to share a book talk and signing with Mr. Edwin B. Henderson II on his book a "The Life and Times of Dr. E.B. Henderson," written about his grandfather.

TOMORROW, May 2, 2024 6:00p.m.
Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives
1201 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036

***This event is Free and Open to the Public***
***Book Purchases will go through the author. No Cash Accepted On Site.***

04/25/2024

Calling All Alumni Associations!
Calling All Community Members!
Calling All DC History Enthusiasts!

Whether you no longer have your own copy, have a monumental class reunion coming soon, collect historical memorabilia, or want to surprise someone with a unique gift: the memories in these yearbooks are sure to make someone smile!

These are New-Old Stock Surplus Yearbooks that were saved from obscurity during school closures and/or school improvement projects. This fundraiser starts with one of our largest surplus collections: McKinley Tech HS. Each historical artifact is set at a donation of $20 each (plus shipping, if required).

To secure your very own or a grouping of multiple for your next alumni event, please send a message to both addresses below:

[email protected]
[email protected]

Don't miss out! Bring home a piece of your history today!

School Year Amount Minimum Donation per Yearbook
McKinley Tech HS 1995 87 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1994 36 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1992 33 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1989 35 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1987 29 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1986 56 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1985 153 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1984 5 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1982 5 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1956 39 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1955 42 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1954 8 $20.00
McKinley Tech HS 1951 5 $20.00

04/08/2024

Hurlbut-Walker Memorial Research Forum:
CALL FOR PROPOSAL
We are accepting proposals through May 13, 2024 for our annual research forum with the following objectives:
Honor the Life, Memory, and Contributions of Richard L. Hurlbut and James D. Walker.
Introduce and Engage the public with the Sumner Museum Collection.
Promote the work and valued research of individuals who have used the Sumner Archives as one of their major resources for a finished work; i.e. book, dissertation, film, community project, etc.
Facilitate lively discussion about the culture, history, and legacy of DC Public Education.
Inspire future research and projects.
Your presentation can be in-person, live virtual or pre-recorded. Please state your preference in your proposal.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
If you are interested in being a featured speaker, please submit a summary of what you would like to present in under 200 words. Be specific when referencing the completed work or if the work is in-progress. This includes, but is not limited to book, film, dissertation, thesis, community project, oral history project, etc. Your selected presentation must include significant use of the Sumner Museum Collection as a resource.

All submissions must include your name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and professional/organizational affiliation or independent.

For consideration, please e-mail your submission by C.O.B. May 13, 2024 to [email protected]. Submissions will be reviewed and we will send out notifications by June 1, 2024.

03/24/2024

It's hard to believe that half a year has passed since we celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Charles Sumner School!

The event sponsored by our steward agency Office of the State Superintendent of Education was a huge success!

The space was full to capacity with various community stakeholders. All DC education leaders were in attendance and provided remarks. Sumner School Alumni returned and shared how the school shaped their lives and careers. There was even a commissioned composition composed by a talented DCPS Music Educator and performed live by current students.

It was a beautiful event honoring and underscoring the value of the school's history, legacy, present and future.

If you missed it, catch the recap here. Also, if you haven't visited us before or it has been a while, we would love to greet you! We are open Monday through Friday from 10am until 5pm. Make a research appointment with us to access the archives Tues through Thursday between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

Do you remember the 21st Night of September (2023)?!?We celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Historic Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives in Washing...

03/20/2024

Lovely Ladies Of M. M. Washington HS in 1953.

03/01/2024

Happy Women's History Month!

In honor of Women's History Month, we are continuing our series of sharing wonderful historical images from the Bill Webb Collection.

We will share many of the images of the Women and Young Ladies that were Faculty Staff and Students.

Feel Free to Tag if you see a loved one!

02/29/2024

(2023 Recap continued)

This past Spring, the Society of American Archivists held their annual meeting in Washington, DC. Our Director joined a panel with colleagues Dr. Lopez Matthews, DC State Archivist; Derek Gray, DC Public Library, Peoples’ Archives Archivist; and the honorable Sharon Pratt, former Mayor of Washington, DC. The Presentation was entitled ‘Leveraging Collections to tell the Complete DC History and Engage Community.’ The room was packed to capacity which underscored the value of the work of preserving DC history and culture.

02/28/2024

Programs, Outreach and Education (2023 Recap continued)
*
*
*
Sumner Museum staff has been super busy this year illuminating aspects of DC Public Education history for a special group of stakeholders—DC Public Education Leaders.
This year was our first time making a presentation to incoming DC Public School Administrators and our second installment of assisting organizing the DC Public School Onboarding Experience for new educators. We also facilitated a talk and tour with about 85 new educators who are entering our schools for the first time through the Teach for America Program.

Both presentations provided a history of public education with an emphasis on race and equity. The onboarding experience welcomed about 150 new educators who engaged at our site as well as the Anacostia Community Museum. Other collaborators contributed as well including the Story of Our Schools Project and retired DC Public School Educators.

Earlier in the year in February, we made a virtual presentation for staff members of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) about Black Education in Washington, DC. This initiative was spearheaded by the agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Office. The presentation was followed up by coordinated in-person visits and tours of the Museum for the months of February and March. The presentation was informative and well received by members of the staff. It was exciting to meet new team members who visited the Museum and shared their reflections connecting their in-person experience to the virtual presentation.

There were so many other exciting developments including numerous tours and talks, our participation in the annual DC History Conference, collaborating with other organizations whose missions connect with ours--illuminating and celebrating DC Public Education History.

Journey with us below through a few moments of community engagement throughout 2023.

02/27/2024

Earlier we shared our 2023 Reflections. Over the next few posts, we are happy to share with you some of the many wonderful events/programs the Sumner Museum has been up to.
*
*
*
In late summer of 2022, Friends of Sumner was notified about two grant awards. We received funding from IMLS to rehouse, develop finding aid and metadata, and conduct preliminary digitizing for the William T. Webb Jr. Photograph Collection spanning from 1968-1991. We also received funding from a National Park Service and IMLS collaborative grant - Save America’s Treasures - to conduct conservation treatment on 11 significant artifacts within our collection. This past year we worked hard to fulfill the grant requirements and have made considerable progress. The Webb Collection project is in its final stages and this upcoming quarter we are looking forward to conducting actual digitization.

Two objects within the Save America's Treasures Grant project have been completed and include a signed lithograph portrait of Senator Charles Sumner and a photograph from M Street High School. This grant has a small match requirement of $12,000. Friends of Sumner is accepting donations to contribute directly to the match to complete necessary conservation treatment on all objects. Other objects include early superintendent reports and board minutes, teacher ledgers, and diplomas.

Please donate HERE if you wish to contribute to the match requirement to assist in efforts to preserve these materials for future generations.

Captions for images below: Before treatment and After treatment studio photos; Crystal Hurd and Kimberly Springle dropping off artifacts at the Conservation Center in Philadelphia, PA for treatment.

02/02/2024

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

Let's pick up from where we left off. Please enjoy this image we discovered while processing the Bill Webb Collection.

In this image: Frederick Drew Gregory one of the first Black Astronauts pictured with DCPS student.

Is this you? Were you at this event? Do you remember this event? PLEASE SHARE??!

We look forward to collecting more stories to support the many wonderful images captured through the years by Mr. Webb!

01/07/2024

January 6th marks the 213th birthday of our building's namesake, Senator Charles Sumner!

Born on January 6, 1811, Sumner was a United States Senator from Massachusetts. As an academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was one of the most outspoken leaders of the anti-slavery movement.
As Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives continues celebrating the Pride of Washington DC's Public Education History, we are so grateful to also start 2024 honoring the legacy of Senator Charles Sumner.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

01/02/2024

We look forward to sharing with the community what we've been up to at Sumner Museum and welcoming you all throughout 2024!

08/12/2023

Excited to share that tickets for Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives 150th Anniversary Gala are LIVE!

You don't want to miss this historic event! Get your 'Festive after Five' outfits together and join us for a once in a lifetime celebration honoring 150 years of Charles Sumner School serving as a trailblazer in education equity and historic preservation.

RSVP is required for entry. Space is limited so be sure to mark your calendar and grab your tickets!

150th Anniversary of Charles Sumner School, a historic African American school, which is the first of its kind in Washington, DC.

04/26/2023

We're Back!

As part of the District’s celebration of the Month of the Young Child, the Office of the State Superintendent is excited to host Read Across DC on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Here at Sumner, we thought what a great theme to share more Bill Webb phots form DC Public School Events!

We will continue to share more photos throughout the year, as we uncover more images from this breathtaking collection.

03/16/2023

Come on out to Eastern HS on March 31st for this monumental event. We are proud to have provided support through our historic collection .

Reposted from The Story of Our Schools "We're excited to announce our 100 Years of Eastern High School exhibit reveal event coming up on March 31! Join us for a performance by the Eastern Marching Band and Lady Gems as we celebrate Eastern’s rich history over the past 100 years."
Admission is FREE! bit.ly/3ZE22si

We're excited to announce our 100 Years of Eastern High School exhibit reveal event coming up on March 31! Join us for a performance by the Eastern Marching Band and Lady Gems as we celebrate Eastern’s rich history over the past 100 years. Admission is FREE! bit.ly/3ZE22si

02/18/2023

Sumner Museum is excited to share images from the Bill Webb Collection.
Please comment if you see yourself or someone you know photos! Your memories illuminate the Proud History of Public Schools in Washington, DC.

02/14/2023

Sumner Museum is excited to share images from the Bill Webb Collection.
Please comment if you see yourself or someone you know photos! Your memories illuminate the Proud History of Public Schools in Washington, DC.

02/13/2023

Sumner Museum is excited to share images from the Bill Webb Collection.
Please comment if you see yourself or someone you know photos! Your memories illuminate the Proud History of Public Schools in Washington, DC.