The late Maurice Berger, a renowned cultural historian, writer, and curator, left behind a legacy that continues to inspire. His dedication to social justice and art history is being honored by UMBC with the launch of the Maurice Berger CADVC Program Fund on December 5. This fund will support projects that investigate the intersection of race and visual culture, carrying on Berger’s mission of teaching racial literacy through visual literacy.
One of Berger’s most notable contributions was his monthly “Race Stories” column for the New York Times, where he analyzed the power of images to convey the realities of race. His work delved into historical photographs, documentary images, and social media visuals to uncover the complexities of racism in America. The forthcoming book, “Race Stories: Essays on the Power of Images,” co-published by Aperture and the New York Times, compiles Berger’s insightful essays from the Lens blog, accompanied by the photographs that inspired them.
Edited by Marvin Heiferman, Berger’s partner, the book is organized into thematic chapters that explore the past, strategies of representation, understanding the present, effecting change, and visualizing communal connections. It emphasizes the importance of self-representation and challenges readers to confront their biases and misconceptions about race.
The Maurice Berger CADVC Program Fund will support projects like Levester Williams’ “Cockeysville to Baltimore,” which investigates the racial history of marble sourced from a quarry north of Baltimore. The fund will also sponsor a book by multimedia artist Tomashi Jackson, edited by Nia K. Evans, continuing the tradition of critical inquiry into race and visual culture.
The launch event on December 5 will celebrate Berger’s legacy, featuring a public art projection series by Levester Williams and addresses from key figures in the art world. It is a fitting tribute to a pioneering figure who believed in the transformative power of visual storytelling.
