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Diversity

“Culture is art, music and dance. It’s language, tradition and history. It’s what we eat, what we wear and how we live. Culture is an open door, inviting us to learn more about each other—and ourselves. In families, neighborhoods and cities across America, cultures meet, blend and expand.

So it was in Baltimore. In 1729, immigrants began to arrive here to build neighborhoods and communities. People of Native American, European, Asian and African descent were among Baltimore’s first residents. In the early 1800s, when slavery was still a legal institution in the United States, many African-Americans found freedom in Baltimore, forming one of the largest “freed” communities in the country.

The complexity of our nation’s history—from colonialism and American slavery to immigration and international trade—reflects a reality as global as it is American. America’s story is Baltimore’s story.”
(from www.baltimore.org)

Many of our neighborhoods reflect our diverse traditions: Greektown, Little Italy, and Highlandtown with many Polish restaurants. Upton is a historically African American neighborhood with a monument to the Royal Theatre, once a cultural focus of the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor of jazz music, arts and theater. Station North and lower Charles Village have significant Korean and Chinese communities and many Asian restaurants. Southeast Baltimore, especially around Patterson Park and Broadway near Fells Point, is home to newer Latino/Hispanic communities of immigrants mainly from Central America and Mexico. The Jewish community in Baltimore City was historically centered around Jonestown, which is now the site of the Jewish Museum of Maryland and several delis on historic Corned Beef Row.

One way that we celebrate and share is through the annual Showcase of Nations Ethnic festivals, including the African American Heritage Festival, Caribbean-American Carnival, FestAfrica, Greek Folk Festival, Latino Fest, Russian Festival and Ukranian Festival.

The links below only scratch the surface of all the different communities and cultures that there are to explore in Baltimore.

Diversity

Multicultural

African American Community

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Asian Community

Jewish Community

Latino Community

Native American Community

Immigrant and Refugee Services