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Audrey Cyrus McCallum was the first African-American student to enroll at the Peabody Preparatory, and this is a program from what was likely her first recital at Peabody.

After a five and a half year long conversation and nine months after Brown v. Board of education, the Peabody Institute Board of Trustees made the decision to drop all discriminatory policies in all branches of the Institute.

Reginald Stewart received this inquiry from Katherine J. Lane regarding the Preparatory’s policies on accepting African-American students. He then wrote to William Marbury saying, “This is obviously a test letter. I should like to have your opinion…

Leah Thorpe, Dean of the Preparatory, submitted a plan for integrating the Preparatory Department over the course of four years. This plan paralleled a similar model used by the Friends School, a private school nearby, but was not adopted at Peabody.

After Reginald Stewart presented his report, the Board of Trustees discussed his statement on the acceptance of African-American students. They agreed with most of his proposals, but appointed a committee to decide whether to accept African-American…

In his report to be presented to the Peabody Board of Trustees at their June 1954 meeting, Reginald Stewart included this lengthy statement on the acceptance of African-American students to the Institute.

In a time of indecision and indifference towards changing discriminatory policies at the Peabody Preparatory, Reginald Stewart received this letter from Eugene D. Byrd, DDS on March 24, 1953. Byrd’s letter demands that Peabody stop their…

In January of 1954, Reginald Stewart mentioned the idea of opening a branch of the Conservatory at Douglass High School for African-American students. Peabody President William Marbury, Preparatory Dean Leah Thorpe, and Baltimore City School…

Paul A. Brent, the first African-American student to enroll at the Peabody Conservatory, graduated with a Teacher’s Certificate in Piano in the class of 1953. In this photo, he is second from the right on the back row.

The Peabody Conservatory student body submitted this 20-page document to the administration following the firing of a beloved faculty member, Madame Renée Longy. It includes many complaints and incidents that were contributing to a negative…