Visit Harford was recently awarded $80,000 of grand funding by The Maryland
Department of Commerce, Office of Tourism to support The Gateway to Freedom Ride Along
Route 40 in Harford County. This grant will be used to create an economic impact by increasing
tourism in Harford County and throughout Maryland.
This project aims to develop, enhance, and bring public understanding of Harford County’s role
in the Civil Rights Movement. This initiative will include the production of a video highlighting
Harford’s Civil Rights sites along with the development of signage along Route 40 where the
Freedom Ride took place.
Dr. James Karmel, Director of the Harford Civil Rights Project, exclaims “This project is a great
opportunity that will enable Harford County to celebrate and commemorate the 60th Anniversary
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. I am looking forward to working with Visit Harford on videos and
web-based content about Harford County and the Civil Rights Era. The grant will advance public
understanding of this vital local history and encourage visitors to explore the area to learn more.”
At Visit Harford, we are seeing a strong need to deliver information to the community about the
history of Harford County and its pivotal role within the Civil Rights movement. We believe
The Gateway to Freedom Ride will have a significant impact on Harford County for over
263,000 residents.
About Visit Harford
Visit Harford is Harford County, Maryland’s Official Destination Marketing Organization. We
are a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Harford County and its tourism
attractions to visitors in order to stimulate economic activity for the enhanced quality of life of
all Harford County citizens.
