Remarks as prepared
Delivered on Monday, September 25, 2023
Good evening and welcome to the People's House!
Many of you know me as Maryland's First Lady.
But there's another role I take very seriously.
I serve as Honorary Chair of the Government House Foundation.
We've made it our mission to work with the Foundation Board to open Government House to the public.
We want to make Government House a gathering place, where people from all walks of life can connect with each other, build strong bonds, and grow close.
And it's in that spirit that I feel truly honored to welcome the cast of The Wiz to Government House!
We've already hosted many artists in Government House. But no other performance has held more personal significance to me.
I grew up in a musical household.
My mother always encouraged me to study and celebrate the arts – on stage and screen.
I remember the first time I heard "Home and Be a Lion," it was not from the play or movie. It was introduced through the singers in my family. The traditions of sharing a talent during Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Then, when I was old enough, she showed me the Wiz when I was a child, and I fell in love.
Like every young kid, I wanted to find my way. And the Wiz helped me realize that finding your way can be a great adventure.
And what was even better, like other boys and girls, we could see ourselves!
It wasn't just a celebration of the Wiz: it was a celebration of what it means to be African American.
The film brought together the greatest Black artists of their generation:
And through them we could all be seen!
This is a full circle moment for me. And it's a full circle moment for our state.
There would be no Wiz without Baltimore City.
The show was born in Maryland.
It was brought to life by some of the greatest talents our state has ever seen:
Stephanie Mills;
Andre de Shields;
Tiger Haynes.
And now here were are once again with this Generation's phenomenal cast
The Wiz has finally come back home. So I want to thank the producers and the director. Each and every one of you.
It's come home to a state where we embrace the arts.
It's come home to a state where the public sector is working in partnership with theater companies to deliver tax relief to local productions.
It's come home to a state where we're letting artists know they aren't just welcome, they're necessary.
That is the lesson The Wiz teaches us – and it's a lesson I'm grateful to share with you tonight.
With that, I want to turn the program over to my husband, the 63rd Governor of Maryland: I want to tell you about this Governor. My husband. The amazing father of our two children, Mia and James. He is the first African American governor in the this state, the only sitting African American governor in this county and only the third in the history of our nation. And let you me tell you you have the right one in this job.
He has made record investments in Maryland Arts organizations. Making Maryland the 2nd highest per capita arts spending in the nation.
Wes Moore.