newly elected Board president
HIGHLAND BEACH, MD -- The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is pleased to announce Edmund Fleet, M.Ed., as newly elected Board President and Executive Director of the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center.
Mr. Fleet has served as the Interim Executive Director since March 2024. He holds a Master of Education from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Howard University. Mr. Fleet is also the Principal of Fleet Management Group, Inc., and has served on several non-profit boards, served on the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities and taught for the District of Columbia Public Schools system for eight years.
“I am delighted to serve as the Executive Director of the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center,” said Mr. Fleet. “I look forward to leading new initiatives at the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center and preserving the legacy of Highland Beach and Venice Beach, Maryland, which are the first African American summer resorts in the United States. I am honored to continue this rich legacy."
“Mr. Fleet has proven experience and sound leadership attributes,” says Jean Langston, M.Ed., Immediate Past Executive Director for the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center. “I have led the museum since its inception twenty-eight years ago, when the Frederick Douglass summer home was deeded to the town of Highland Beach in 1996. I am proud to see how we’ve been able to celebrate and preserve the history of Frederick Douglass, his family, and those tied to Highland Beach and Venice Beach. I look forward to seeing how the museum grows for new generations.”
FDMCC is committed to promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of the life and work of Frederick Douglass and his family. In addition, the museum seeks to identify, document, and preserve the social and cultural histories of Highland Beach and Venice Beach, Maryland. The dedicated all-volunteer Board of Directors and museum docents, strive to make resources available for information and research. The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is housed in Twin Oaks, the summer "cottage" built in 1895 for formerly enslaved Frederick Douglass, who achieved international acclaim as an abolitionist, orator, civil rights advocate, writer, publisher, and statesman.
Congratulations to Edumund Fleet and to the Frederick Douglas Museum and Cultural Center! Edumund Fleet is an excellent choice to continue the legacy work of Jean Langston as well as a leader who will continue to explore exciting programmatic possibilities for the museum.