Baltimore & Gbarnga: 50 Years of Sister Cities

Baltimore’s first sister city relationship was established 50 years ago in 1973 with Gbarnga in Liberia. In Baltimore, the relationship is managed by Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee (BGSSC); in Gbarnga is it managed by Gbarnga-Baltimore Sister City Committee (GBSC Liberia).

Baltimore is located in the state of Maryland, near Washington, DC (the capital of USA). Gbarnga is the capital of Bong County, northeast of Monrovia (the capital of Liberia). Maryland has historical connections to Liberia and has sister state relationships with two counties in Liberia: Bong County and Maryland County.

A year of celebration

2023 is the 50th year of the Baltimore-Gbarnga sister city relationship. There are several special events throughout the year:

December 2022 | B4 Youth Theatre: 200 Years of Returns

Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee (BGSSC) supported and collaborated with the Program in Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship (RIC) at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University (JHU) on a historic trip commemorating the 200th year since the arrival of the first repatriated families in Liberia. B4 Youth Theatre, a troupe of young Baltimore performers, performed in Liberia to build a cultural and societal bridge between the two countries and its peoples. The performance, 200 Years of Returns, commemorated the Liberia Bicentennial. A collaboration with the Angels of Praise dancers and the Just One Spirit dance ministry — the culmination of more than a year of rehearsing, research, and performances in Virginia and Maryland. B4 Youth Theatre visited Gbarnga and its community college during their trip. More information about this trip

About B4 Youth Theatre: www.b4youththeatre.org

About the Johns Hopkins University program: JHU’s RIC Supports Trip to Liberia for Baltimore Schoolchildren

B4 Youth Theatre, a troupe of young Baltimore performers, performed in Liberia in 2022 to build a cultural and societal bridge between the two countries and its peoples. The performance, called '200 Years of Returns,' commemorated the Liberia Bicentennial.

June 24, 2023 | Anniversary celebration in Gbarnga

The Gbarnga-Baltimore Sister City Committee (GBSC Liberia) held a special event in Gbarnga on June 24, 2023 with Gbarnga Mayor Herbert to celebrate the sister city relationship with Baltimore.

Special event held in Gbarnga on June 24, 2023 with Mayor Herbert to celebrate 50th year anniversary of the sister city relationship with Baltimore.

July 7, 2023 | Special event in Baltimore

The event recognizes and celebrates the December 2022 ‘200 Years of Returns’ trip to Liberia organized and sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Krieger School program in Racism, Immigration and Citizenship (‘RIC’) and the Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee. This event includes the presentation of the Baltimore Mayor’s ‘Certificates of Recognition’ to the 29 youth and adults who traveled to Liberia or supported the trip in other ways, a cultural troupe performance, premiere screening of ‘200 Years of Returns” as performed on UNESCO World Heritage site Providence Island in Liberia, Q&A with the actors and travelers, and a light reception.

Event information

Post-event press release and photos

Honorees at the July 7, 2023 celebration in Baltimore of '200 Years of Returns' (a Baltimore-Liberia program)

October 5, 2023 | 50th Year Anniversary Celebration in Baltimore

Baltimore’s first sister city relationship was established 50 years ago in 1973 with Gbarnga in Liberia and we will mark the occasion with a special event.

Details to come.

Oct 1 / Cultural Adventure: Celebrate Muslims in America with an afternoon of film, tastes and treasures!

Date/time: Sunday, October 1, 2023, 3pm – 5:30pm ET
Location: Islamic Leadership Institute, 4903 Liberty Heights Ave, Baltimore MD 21207
Admission: $10 (students $5). Advance registration required.
More info and to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/MuslimRoadTrip

The Baltimore Luxor Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC) is pleased to invite you to a cultural adventure on Oct 1 from 3 – 5:30pm at the Islamic Leadership Institute in Baltimore. The committee will show a portion of the award-winning documentary Great Muslim American Road Trip, with live comments/Q&A from director Alex Kronemer. The committee will also serve Egyptian treats and offering Egyptian treasures for sale to raise funds for a BLASCC nurse training project in Alexandria, Egypt, this fall.

Event flyer for October 1, 2023 with name, location, address, date, ticket info, and list of activities. Photos of people from the Great Muslim American Road Trip film.

Sept 9-10 / Ukrainian Festival in Baltimore

46th Annual Ukrainian Festival held at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore

Dates & times:
Saturday September 9, 2023 12noon-8pm
Sunday September 10, 2023 12noon-6pm
Location: At the grounds of the St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church at 2401 Eastern Ave. and 500 S. Montford Ave Baltimore, MD 21224
Admission: Free
More info: www.stmichaelukrainiancatholicbaltimore.org/ukrainian-festival.html

The annual Ukrainian Festival celebrates the culture and heritage of Ukraine. The festival will host traditional dancers, musicians, singers and other entertainment with an exquisite selection of Ukrainian Food, Ukrainian Beer Garden, Novelty Vendors & Children’s Area! St. Michael’s Church Kitchen in the lower church hall is selling delicious homemade traditional Ukrainian food. Organized by Ukrainian Festival Committee of Baltimore. Proceeds benefit UCCA’s humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

Flyer for the 2023 Ukrainian Festival with images of and a text summary of the event's activities, crafts, food. Date and address. Ukraine flag with StandWithUkraine hashtag.

July 7 / Baltimore-Gbarnga: 50 Years of Sister Cities; 200 Years of Returns

Dance and music performance - '200 Years of Returns' trip to Liberia in 2022

Recognize and celebrate the ‘200 Years of Returns’ performances in Gbarnga, Liberia and Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Admission: By invitation only (not open to the public)

Recognize and celebrate the December 2022 ‘200 Years of Returns’ trip to Liberia organized and sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Krieger School program in Racism, Immigration and Citizenship (‘RIC’) and the Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee. This will include presentation of the Baltimore Mayor’s ‘Certificates of Recognition’ to the 29 youth and adults who traveled to Liberia or supported the trip in other ways. Enjoy a cultural troupe performance, premiere screening of ‘200 Years of Returns” as performed on UNESCO World Heritage site Providence Island in Liberia, Q&A with the actors and travelers, and a light reception. Liberia is the country where freemen and ex-slaves, many from Maryland and Virginia, were returned to Africa beginning in 1822 as a result of the American Colonization Society and the Abolitionists Movement to decrease the number of freemen and ex-slaves as one method of abolishing slavery. The Republic of Liberia was formed in 1847. The Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee was formed in 1973 and was the first of Baltimore’s nine sister city relationships.

200 Years of Returns is a collaboration between Maryland nonprofit B4 Youth Theatre and the Museum Theater Department of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The 2022 performances marking the Liberian bicentennial featured Baltimore’s Just One Spirit Dance Company and Angels of Praise of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church.

Donations at this event will support the three central Maryland community organizations involved: Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister Cities, B4 Youth Theatre, and the Angels of Praise dance group out of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church on Belvedere.

More info about the 2022 trip to Liberia: RIC Supports Trip to Liberia for Baltimore Schoolchildren

Asia North 2023: A Celebration of Art, Culture, and Community

May 5 – June 5 | Asia North Exhibition+Festival

Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North (Station North Arts District) neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub. Co-produced by Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership.

Program includes:

May 5-June 3: TRANSition/TRANSformation/TRANScendence” Asia North Exhibition at The Parlor and Motor House
May 5: Asia North Opening event, 5-9pm at Motor House and The Parlor
May 6, 19, 20: Special improv events at Baltimore Improv Group
May 11: Social Hour NAAAP Baltimore Kong Pocha
May 12: Discover & Dine Kamayan Feast
May 13: Makers Market Asia North 2023
May 13: Short Film Screening + Discussion: Alex El Dahdah’s “Āh”
May 20-21: Three Patterns at the Bank (tickets required). Opening Party & After Party on May 20; Closing Event on May 21
June 1: LGBTQIA(sian): Staged Readings of Queer Asian Plays at The Parlor
June 2: Closing Event Asia North 2023
June 3: Walking Tour: Historic Koreatown Food & Landmarks (registration required), Presented with the Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee and Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington

See full program and details on Asian Arts & Culture Center events page.

Presented by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership. With participation and support from Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).

Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center

Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle | BCYAC 2023

Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle (BCYAC) project is an international youth art exchange project between cities of Baltimore and Changwon.

In Baltimore City and Changwon, South Korea, groups of students have been learning about and making art! On May 11, 2023, their artwork is displayed at Baltimore City Hall during a livestreamed event between the two cities.

Participant artists from both cities apply developmental theories to create arts and community-based workshops within the Baltimore Changwon Sister City partnership. Blooming Rainbow was the first project between the two cities in 2022. 2023 is a second-year extension of that project with new community and artist groups.

With the help of our partnerships, the workshops generated by this project serve to promote diversity and equal opportunity in both cities while gathering together artists and students in safe communal art spaces. Mentoring of historically under-served groups is crucial to develop a healthy feeling of self-worth and identity in our communities. Our participating artists seek to develop relationships with students based on mutual respect and affirmation of their self-worth, and maintain high expectations while using culturally responsive teaching practices.

The goal of this project is to establish the potential of growing fruit from small beginnings by illustrating and developing the innate ability of children through visual expression. By joining students with mature artists, it is hoped that the beauty of drawing with simple beginnings enhanced by artists will inspire students to realize their potential based on their own visual expression of their ideas.

Project Partners

Art Education Department, Towson University
New Song Academy
BTU-Partnerships for Greater Baltimore
Hope of House
Mindle Community Child Center
Neulpuren Community Child Center
Changwon Artists: Chaeyeon Hong, Sumin Lee, Jinsun Na
BNK Kyongnam Bank
Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee
Changwon City
Baltimore Office of the Mayor

Children in Changwon participating in the Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle (BCYAC) exchange

Children in Baltimore participating in the Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle (BCYAC) exchange

June 2 / Baltimore Immigration Summit

Working Towards Equity: Strength and Transformation in Immigrant Communities

When: Friday, June 2, 2023, 8am – 4pm ET
Location: Towson University, West Village Commons Towson, MD 21252
More info: Event page (Registration has reached capacity and is now closed.)

Towson University and the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) host the 10th Baltimore Immigration Summit at West Village Commons at Towson University, returning after a three-year hiatus. This is a one-day event bringing together academics, policymakers, service providers, activists, community leaders and others working with and for New Americans (immigrants and refugees) in the Baltimore region. The 2023 theme is ”Working Towards Equity: Strength and Transformation in Immigrant Communities.”

The Baltimore Immigration Summit is a one-day event that brings together academics, policymakers, service providers, activists, community leaders, and others working with and for New Americans (immigrants and refugees) in our region. Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs represent an area with a growing and diverse New American population, and local governments view New Americans as essential to the region’s ongoing resurgence. We invite you to join us in celebrating the continued work of welcoming New Americans in the Baltimore area and discovering new opportunities for collaboration!

Baltimore Sister Cities will have a table at this event. Stop by our table to meet us and find out more about what we do!

May 20-21 / Three Patterns: Exhibition & Performances

Three Patterns’ is a noir-esque reflection on balance and nature. Told as three stories inspired by eastern mythology and traditions.

Three Patterns is divided into three stories: ”Possessed,“ “The Sacred Hex,” and “Hellbound” which includes themes of Suffering Ritual and Spirituality. The exhibition will feature 13 photo prints, 2 works of Japanese calligraphy also known as ”Shodo,“ and 3 performances on the opening night of May 20, 2023. The entire exhibition includes 11 artists from New York, Baltimore, Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan, and more. These artists from different cultures have collaborated with each other to present a diverse and innovative exhibition curated by OTS Productions. Through the use of photography, calligraphy, performance, art, music, Three Patterns serves as a prequel from last year’s Baltimore exhibition “Hellbound: Dancing With The Spirits“ and the completion to a story that is inspired by Chinese and Japanese mythology and Buddhism.

Exhibition location: The Bank, 1901 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21218
Exhibition opening & performances: May 20, 6:30-10:30pm ET.
After Party: with DJ Fundad at The Crown, 1901 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21218
Exhibition: May 21, 1-5pm ET Admission is free.
Closing Event: May 21, 1pm ET.

Admission is free but tickets are required.

More information, and to register: Eventbrite page

Part of the 2023 edition of the Asia North Arts Festival.

Curated by OTS Productions. Sponsored / Funded by: MSAC Creativity Grant, Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee, T. Rowe Price Foundation. In partnership with: Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center, Central Baltimore Partnership, Station North Arts District, Red Bull, the Crown.

Exhibition poster with list of artists in the exhibit, location and event dates, list of sponsors and partners with logos

June 23 / Stoop Storytelling

These are the People in Our Neighborhood: Stories about community, conflict, culture and coming together

On Friday June 23 from 8 to 9:30pm ET, Karina Mandell from the Baltimore-Odesa Sister Committee will be one of the storytellers at an edition of the Stoop Storytelling Series at Howard County Community College’s Smith Theatre. The event is part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts — come experience an evening of true, personal stories about the highs and lows of sharing your neighborhood with your neighbors!

More info: Event page
Tickets: Purchase tickets here

Black History Month 2023

A post about the Great Kingdoms of Africa from the Chair of the Baltimore-Gbarnga Liberia Sister City Committee, Luana Kiandoli, in honor of Black History Month.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of African diasporic people. People of African descent have contributed to culture, science, literature, astronomy, metallurgy, medicine, art, mathematics, music, military tactics, religion etc. Genetically they come in various shades of color, hair types and facial features.

The Great Kingdoms of Africa

Ancient Egypt (3150-600 BCE) — Known for the pyramids (architectural design), medicine, astronomy, and the Kings/Pharaohs who changed the face of the then-ancient world such as Menes, Ahkenaton, Tutankhamun, Thutmose I (known as greatest warrior)Thutmose II, and III, Ramses, Queen Cleopatra, and Nefertiti.

Carthage (8th/9th century BCE) — A major sea power that was located in present-day Tunisia and parts of northernmost and Sahelian Africa. Most renown event is the three Punic Wars against the Roman Empire by crossing the Alps with elephants led by Hannibal, considered one of the greatest generals in the world.

Mali (13th century CE) — Located in present West Africa and known for trade; most trade from all corners of Africa passed through Mali. The repository of diverse academia was held in the University of Timbuktu, and Malian ruler Mansa Musa was reputed to be so wealthy that even by today’s standards he would be richer than several billionaires combined.

Songhai (15^th/16 century CE) — Located in present day West Africa, was larger than modern-day Western Europe and was known for its sophisticated government and many Islamic educational institutions.

Kush (c1069-350CE) — Located in present day Sudan, known for pyramids, development of the water wheel changing agricultural techniques; as a trade center (ivory, gold, iron, incense etc). King Piye leader beat the Egyptians and ruled the 25th dynasty in 744–714 BCE.

Ethiopia (Abyssinia) (1270-1974) — Reputed to be the kingdom of the descendants of King Solomon (built the First Temple in Jerusalem, and loved by many because of his wisdom) and the Queen of Sheba (Makeda). The Solomonic dynasty existed for more than 700+years, inaugurated by King Menelik I. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity; Lalibela World Heritage Site. Emperor Gebre Meskel of the Zagwe dynasty (1181-1221 CE).

Kongo (1390 CE-1914CE) — Located in the present Democratic Republic of Congo, was once led by Kikongo warrior Luken Lua Nimi. Known for its trade economy of textiles, pottery, copper, and ivory.

Benin (1180 CE-1897 CE) — Located in present-day Nigeria, was the home of many artisans who casted items from bronze, iron, and ivory. Also known for its art blacksmithing, casting metallurgy.

THERE ARE MANY WHICH HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT BUT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN….
Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zulu, Punt, Aksum, Olmec, and others….