Salome A. Howard Bar Association, Inc.

Salome Ann Freeman Howard, a southern Maryland icon, was a courageous and outspoken activist for justice and equality. She became well-known for her activities to combat discrimination in southern Maryland. She organized and participated in sit-ins, marches and other types of civil disobedience to advocate for employment and housing rights. She fought for changes at restaurants, schools, hotels, and churches that designated black and white only accommodations. She also was the sixth president of the Charles County NAACP Branch from 1974 to 1986.

Mrs. Howard attended Pomonkey Elementary School in Pomonkey, Maryland and St. Francis DeSales High School in Rockcastle, Virginia. She won a scholarship to Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. After returning and settling in Pomonkey, Charles County, Maryland, Mrs. Howard taught health and physical education at Bel Alton High School, an all-black school in the county. On July 26, 1950, she wed Herbert M. Howard; they remained married until her death on July 29, 2004.

The Salome A. Howard Bar Association, Inc. (SAHBA) was founded in 2010 to serve the needs of the growing population of African American attorneys practicing in southern Maryland and to promote community service among the members. The association was honored to be named after the legendary activist, and in honor of her memory, created the scholarship to serve the needs of students pursuing a college education. Just as Mrs. Howard benefited from a scholarship to college, SAHBA seeks to grant that same benefit to selected students attending the College of Southern Maryland.