7th Annual “Lynching in Maryland” Conference
tickets now on sale

The MD Lynching Memorial Project (MLMP) will hold its 7th Annual “Lynching in Maryland” Conference on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 9.30a to 4.00p at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

As in years past, the program will include a variety of presentations, panel discussions and films that consider the history of racial terror lynching in Maryland, its lasting effects and efforts around the state to confront the truth so that healing and reconciliation might begin.

Two major additions to the program have just been confirmed.

First, we are proud to announce that the conference will feature the Maryland premiere of the award-winning documentary, "My Father's Name."

This 20-minute film traces a woman's harrowing and life-altering realization that her father had taken part in one of the nation's most notorious acts of racial terror: the torture and brutal lynching of Roosevelt Townes and Robert McDaniels in Duck Hill, Mississippi.

On the morning of April 13, 1937, based on the flimsiest of pretenses, Townes and McDaniels were arraigned for the murder of a white storekeeper. They were handcuffed together to be returned to jail but as the pair left the courthouse they were seized by a mob of about 100 men and taken to a secluded site in the woods about 6 miles away. There the two were tied to trees and sadistically tortured to death.

Their murders attracted national attention when photographs of the grotesque scene were published in Time and Life magazines.

“My Father’s Name” focuses on a child of one of the lynchers and how she reckons with the discovery of her father’s secret past. The man she worshiped and likened to Atticus Finch – kind, patient, loving – was party to the horrific murders of those men.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. called the film, “a gripping and essential exploration of race, accountability, and the far-reaching consequences of family secrets.” In addition to the screening, there will be a panel discussion following the film that will include:

• Susanna Styron, the film’s director, is an award-winning writer and director of both documentary and dramatic works for film and television

• Devontae Freeland, descendant of James Bowens who was lynched in Frederick in 1895

• Juliet Hinely, great-great-granddaughter of the man who led the mob that lynched 15-year-old Howard Cooper in Towson in 1885

The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Terry Anne Scott, author of the acclaimed "Lynching and Leisure: Race and the Transformation of Mob Violence in Texas," and an MLMP board member.

MLTRC sets additional public hearings

To date, the MLTRC has held six hearings. Five additional public hearings have now been scheduled, as follows:

All hearings will take place on Saturdays from 10a to 2p. Hearing sites have not yet been determined but will be published here when announced

The MLTRC's hearings allow members of the public, including the descendants of victims, witnesses, and perpetrators, the opportunity to offer testimony about how these murders have impacted their lives. They are also a chance for communities to make recommendations for achieving racial healing. Finally, the hearings provide an opportunity to identify and bring to light possible cases of racial terror lynching that are remembered in families and communities but for which there is little or no documentation.

More information on the hearings and on the MLTRC can be found at its website.

2023 “Lynching in Maryland” Conference Now Streaming

The” Lynching Bee”: Coming to Terms

by Mike Dixon

Mike Dixon is an historian and writer whose research and teaching focus on social history and community studies. Mike’s research revealed the previously undocumented 1861 lynching of 13-year-old Frederick Pearce in Cecil County.

In an historical context, the term bee brings to mind social gatherings or events where a group of people came together to accomplish a task or achieve a common goal. Often called work bees or community bees, they were associated with quilting, barn raising, and spelling—activities where a crowd assembled to work for a purpose, share skills, and socialize with one another. These collective endeavors had a sense of community, teamwork, and common purpose, as the effort involved cooperative social undertakings.

But while completing a study on lynchings for the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project in 2019, I discovered a disturbing association for the colloquial term. Newspapers often discussed lynching bees—occurrences where mobs conducted extrajudicial spectacle hangings for amusement. This contrasted with horrific, racially motivated violence inflicted on victims more quietly, often in the still of the night. 

My focus on researching racial terror lynchings started twenty-one years ago on the Lower Shore when the literature on these crimes was scant, and traces of this dark past were elusive. Of course, secondary literature and original research have advanced in recent years. However, in 2002, all I discovered during my literature review was Dr. Polly Stewart’s groundbreaking research at the Nabb Center. After she started teaching at Salisbury University in 1973, the folklore professor learned lynchings took place in the area. So, she started investigating these incidents, applying academic rigor to determine the facts, issues, and dynamics around the undocumented history.

Reflections on the MLMP’s 5th Annual “Lynching in Maryland Conference”

A panel of students implicitly answered Nancy’s question. Having just retired from being a college prof, I was especially interested to listen to the students. Adrianne Washington, interim dean at the Community College of Baltimore County, had three of her students discuss their visits to the National Memorial for Peach and Justice in Montgomery, AL and their research into victims of lynching. It was clear that the students’ research had made history more real, more personal for them. Two of the students referred to their research subjects as “my person,” and one student shared how emotional it was to find her person’s name at the National Memorial. They were indirectly answering Nancy’s question—of course, the timeline should be extended so that more young people can be part of the construction of “public memory” and, to borrow another Smith phrase, be “unofficial ambassadors of memory.” How can this construction be done well? Conference participant Virginia Ladisch of the International Center for Transitional Justice emphasized that the Commission must “connect the dots between the past and the present.”

Smith concludes his article, “It is the very act of attempting to remember that becomes the most powerful memorial of all.”  For me, the conference was an attempt to remember that was very powerful. Many thanks to those who planned the conference and participated in it.

Details on time, hearing sites and procedures have not yet been released.

The public hearings are mandated by the 2019 law that created the MLTRC. They afford the Commission the opportunity to receive testimony from descendants of victims, perpetrators, witnesses and others in communities harmed by the legacy of lynching.

Additionally, the Commission is authorized to “research the involvement of State county and local government entities and relevant news media in cases of racially motivated lynching.”

The MLTRC held previous hearings in Cumberland County (October 2021) and Baltimore County (June 2022). Hearings for 2023 will be announced at a later date.

Press release:

Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Maryland Lynching Memorial Project announce partnership to develop first state-wide monument to lynching in the U.S.

BALTIMORE, Md. (June 15, 2022) – The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) and the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project (MLMP) today announced an agreement to partner on the conceptualization and design of an exhibition to honor the memory of Maryland victims of racialized terror. Planning and construction on the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project at the Lewis Museum is estimated to take 18 months with the design process for the project slated to launch this fall. A memorial to the victims will also be erected on the museum’s grounds. The project is all part of a broader set of facilities improvements planned for the permanent exhibition. The capital campaign will officially be launched later this year and completed in time for the celebration of the Lewis Museum’s 20th anniversary in June of 2025.

In announcing its plans, Executive Director Terri Lee Freeman shared that “The Lewis Museum wants to provide a permanent acknowledgement that these crimes against humanity occurred while we honor the memory of the victims. We recognize that true reconciliation requires remembrance and reparation.” The permanent exhibit and memorial will work to both educate visitors about unjust acts of vigilante justice and honor the memories of those lost to this horrific violence. It will also bring light to the fact that modern day acts of racial violence and terror continue. The memorial will be the only state-wide remembrance of its kind in the country to date.

“The installation will establish the irrefutable truth about the history of racial terror in Maryland,” said Will Schwarz, President of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project. “It will also help visitors understand how the legacy of lynching continues to weaken and undermine our democracy today and how we can dismantle the machinery of white supremacy that undergirds this history.”

Click for the complete PRESS RELEASE

MD Commission holds hearing in Baltimore County on 1885 lynching of 15-year-old in Towson

In her testimony before the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC), Public Historian Jennifer Liles observed that Henrietta Cooper, mother of 15-year-old lynching victim Howard Cooper, “wanted her life and that of her family and children to have the same worth as Katie Gray (the alleged victim) and for that she was failed—failed by her community, the justice system and the views of African Americans and their worth of the day.”

On Saturday, June 4, the MLTRC held a public hearing to understand the circumstances and consequences of the 1885 lynching of fifteen-year old Howard Cooper in Baltimore County. The hearing was held in the Baltimore County Council chambers just a few blocks from the old county jail where Cooper was lynched on July 13, 1885.

Community leaders provided examples of how the legacy of lynching continues to be manifest in Baltimore County today. Nancy Goldring, a co-leader of the Baltimore County coalition, described the chronic diminution of Historic East Towson over the years caused by unwanted development. Maryland ACLU President Dana Vickers Shelley discussed the policing of Black neighborhoods. Activist Peta Richkusreviewed the racial implications of the recent council redistricting dispute.

Cheryl Pasteur, until recently the vice chair of the Baltimore County School Board, analyzed the racial disparity in education: "I speak on behalf of all of the Howard Coopers as an educator who knows that the educational system in Baltimore County is lynching our children, today, right now; particularly, our African American males."

“I am relieved that the crime of Howard Cooper’s murder is no longer unresolved, that his perpetrators are no longer in control of his legacy. I am so grateful to the Commission, to the Coalition, to the researchers on this project, and to everyone who is in this room and everyone who is part of this work for showing the rest of the country what this can look like. It is woefully insufficient for me to apologize on behalf of my ancestors, but I can work towards amends through action and I’m here to join you, and I thank you so much for creating the opportunity to do so.”

A video recording of the entire hearing is available here:

Lynching Postcards: ‘Token of a Great Day’:
Panel discussion posted

The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project recently hosted a special online screening of the powerful and poignant award-winning documentary, Lynching Postcards: "Token of a Great Day". The film was followed by a panel discussion featuring the film’s director, Christine Turner, and Dr. Izetta Mobley, Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education at the Lewis Museum in Baltimore.

The program was made possible thanks to the generosity of MD Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Harford County Committee holds Remembrance Ceremony/Soil Collection for three lynching victims

Baltimore Co. Coalition holds annual
Community Outreach Forum

The Baltimore County Coalition of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project recently held its 3rd Annual Community Outreach Forum featuring several compelling presentations.

Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway, who served as the 10th Pastor of historic Union Baptist Church in Baltimore, provided a comprehensive background on the life and contributions of Rev. Harvey Johnson. Rev. Johnson led Union Baptist for 50 years and played a critical role in the short life of Howard Cooper. Dr. Hathaway is an expert on the life of Rev. Johnson and will discuss the role of the church and Rev. Johnson in advancing civil rights in Baltimore.

Cooper’s lynching in 1885 was the basis for a discussion by Dr. Elyshia Aseltine, Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Towson University, of the connection between racial terror lynching, over-policing and mass incarceration.

Another professor from Towson University, Dr. Kalima Young with the University’s Department of Electronic Media and Film, described a project she created called, Invisible Architectures. Central to the project is an understanding of how public spaces can reflect the history of racial trauma and express public and collective grief.

The program also included a poetry reading about the Howard Cooper lynching by a Baltimore County middle school student as well as updates on the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Park, a concept for a "Freedom Trail" connecting the Ridgely Estate (Hampton Mansion) with Historic East Towson, the Black community founded in the 1850s by people who were formerly enslaved at the Ridgely Estate.

The video recording of the Forum has been posted on our YouTube channel and can be viewed by clicking here:

4th Annual Lynching in Maryland Conference videos now streaming

The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project held its 4th annual “Lynching in Maryland” conference virtually on November 6, 2021. The entire conference is now available to stream in three parts. Details about each part is provided below its thumbnail.

The conference featured a message to Maryland from Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a panel discussion on the upcoming public hearings of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC), a recounting of the tragic story of Lt. Walter Manning, a Baltimore-born Tuskegee airman who was captured and brutally murdered in the waning days of World War 2, an appearance by Ida B. Wells (as portrayed by actress Debra Mims), a presentation by Washington Post reporter and UM Journalism professor DeNeen Brown about her new project, “Printing Hate”, a powerful resource that details how the white press encouraged and condoned racial terror, and much more.

To view any part, simply click its corresponding thumbnail:

You can find a compilation of resources mentioned at the conference HERE.

In every instance, students are asked to examine the history of a topic of racial injustice and to discuss its legacy today. Students are asked to interpret the chosen topic through the lens of a specific historical event(s), explore how the injustice persists, and imagine solutions for a future free from racial injustice. Students are encouraged to reflect on how the topic impacts their own lives and communities.

EJI has created individual microsites for each of jurisdiction, which can be accessed by clicking the its name below:

• Anne Arundel County

• Baltimore City

• Kent County

• Montgomery County

• Prince George's County

The Equal Justice Initiative will award a total of at least $5,000 in prizes to winning essayists in each contest.

Please remember that each contest is being run independently and interested students should be sure to check the appropriate site for rules, milestones, entry windows and deadlines. These details will be different for the various jurisdictions.

CLICK THROUGH above image for livestream of public hearing. Program starts at 10.45a on Saturday, October 2

First MLTRC Public Hearing Held in Allegany County

On Saturday, October 2 at 11:00 a.m. the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC) held the first of its mandated public hearings in cooperation with the Allegany County Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Committee, an affiliate of MLMP. The session examined 1907 lynching of William Burns (aka Robert Hughes). 

Maryland is the first and only state to have create Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the public hearings are critical to its success. Saturday's Allegany County "truth and healing session" was just the first of at least a dozen planned public hearings to be held by the MLTRC.

You can view a video recording of the Allegany County hearing by clicking the image above.

By the early morning hours of October 6, rumors of the officer's death fueled anger among white residents, hundreds of whom surrounded the jail. For more than half an hour, armed authorities failed to intervene and disperse the mob. Facing no resistance, the mob broke into the jail, abducted William from his cell, and dragged him into the street. The mob then beat him to death and shot his body repeatedly. Thousands of white spectators, including “hundreds of Sunday School children,” viewed William’s tortured corpse for hours as it lay exposed. White mobs killed Black people with impunity during this era, knowing that law enforcement regularly ignored its duty or failed to prevent even the most visible public spectacle lynchings. Later, it was discovered that William Burns was actually Robert Hughes. Like many young Black men at the time, he likely came to Cumberland to find work and opportunity. Despite the large mob, no one was ever held accountable.

The Baltimore County Board of Appeals delivered a stunning victory for the community when it reversed an earlier decision by a County administrative law judge and stopped the controversial Red Maple Place development from moving forward. The reversal is a major victory for the Historic East Towson community. The community has vehemently opposed the plans to squeeze a 56-unit affordable housing project in the last, small, remaining green space in the neighborhood, threatening the neighborhood itself with extinction. Descendants of the original founders still live in the neighborhood which has been damaged and diminished by a series of unwanted development projects over the years. In its deliberations, the Board of Appeals recognized the historic nature of the neighborhood and the deleterious effects of these past incursions. 

The decision is certainly a significant victory for Historic East Towson. But it also signals a growing awareness that history matters, and a recognition that patterns of systemic racism must be considered when development decisions are being made that impact historic Black communities. 

The fight is not over. Historic East Towson won’t know for about 6 weeks if the developer of the proposed Red Maple Place project will appeal the Board’s ruling. The developer, Homes for America, still has options if it chooses to appeal, although this most recent decision suggests prospects for any appeal are dim. 

Meanwhile, community leaders are keeping their fingers crossed. With the reservoir of history and culture built into the community, untold opportunities await for possible historic trails, a more fully-developed  Adelaide Bentley Park, and who knows what else. This hidden gem in the shadow of Downtown Towson has much to share and celebrate. 

“I couldn’t be more thankful for this morning’s decision,” said Nancy Goldring, President of the Northeast Towson Improvement Association, who has led the fight against Red Maple Place from the beginning. “This has been a wild ride, and the outcome has been worth every ounce of energy we all brought to bear in this contest of wills… the will of the people, the power and pull of history, the will to see justice prevail.“ 

The community and its supporters have long maintained that the Red Maple Place issue is not about affordable housing but rather is an issue of social justice. We commend the Board of Appeals for recognizing the difference in its ruling. 

Please arrive at 2:45 PM at the following assembly site: Fort Washington Forest Community Center at 1200 Fillmore Road, Fort Washington. That will give you time to check-in and organize into carpools to reduce traffic. We will depart on the tour at 3:00 PM.

Community Remembrance Projects
Also during this tour, we hope to discuss developing a community remembrance project to memorialize Mr. Juricks, speak the truth about the horrible events that transpired, and begin the process of healing and reconciliation.  The tour is completely free.

As EJI’s founder, Bryan Stevenson reminds us, “We cannot heal the deep wounds inflicted during the era of racial terrorism until we tell the truth about it.”  PGC LMP seeks to confront Prince George’s County’s history of racial violence by collaborating with communities to memorialize victims of racial terror lynchings through a variety of community remembrance projects such as:  soil collection ceremonies at the site of lynchings and historical marker placements.  These projects are aimed at helping communities confront their own histories of racial injustice, while exploring how that history continues to shape the present. They are also a form of truth-telling and public acknowledgement of our painful history.   The goal is to spark necessary conversations about our shared history of racial and economic injustice so that we can all work toward reconciliation.  True reconciliation includes intentional work to recognize and address injustices of the past and how their legacy persists in a range of current issues, from mass incarceration to police violence.  

Contact Us
We truly want and expect our remembrance project work to be community-driven. Even if you are not able to attend this tour, you can give your thoughts and suggestions by contacting us at princegeorgescolmp@gmail.com. 

We hope to see you on August 8th for the tour!

The following is the AP news story written by Brian Witte and published on May 8, 2021

TOWSON, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s governor on Saturday posthumously pardoned 34 victims of racial lynching in the state dating between 1854 and 1933, saying they were denied legal due process against the allegations they faced. 

It was a first-of-its-kind pardon by a governor of a U.S. state.

Gov. Larry Hogan signed the order at an event honoring Howard Cooper, a 15-year-old who was dragged from a jailhouse and hanged from a tree by a mob of white men in 1885 before his attorneys could file an appeal of a rape conviction that an all-white jury reached within minutes. 

“My hope is that this action will at least in some way help to right these horrific wrongs and perhaps bring a measure of peace to the memories of these individuals and to their descendants and their loved ones,” Hogan said.

The Equal Justice Initiative has documented more than 6,500 racial lynchings in the country.

Will Schwarz, who is president of the memorial project, described the posthumous pardons as a powerful moment in acknowledging the truth — a critical step toward reconciliation. He said the history of racial terror lynching in the United States has been ignored for so long that most people don’t know the scale of the problem. 

“We have a responsibility to try and dismantle that machine of white supremacy and this is a big piece of it, acknowledging the violation of civil rights and of due process that were a part of these awful lynchings,” Schwarz said. 

There have been 40 documented lynching cases in Maryland, Schwarz said. In some of those cases, the victims were not yet arrested, so they were not part of the legal system and not eligible for the posthumous clemency approved Saturday by Hogan.

Two years ago, state lawmakers created the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is the first of its kind in the nation. The commission was formed to research lynchings and include its findings in a report.

# # # # #

The livestream recording of the ceremony can be viewed here:

EJI marker unveiled in Salisbury on May 22

The Salisbury Lynching Memorial Task Force, in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) installed an historical marker on Saturday, May 22 to honor the city’s three known racial terror lynching victims.

In 1898, Garfield King was a Black teenager being held in the Wicomico County jail after an altercation with a white man. A mob seized him from the jail, hanged him and shot him at least 50 times.

In December of 1931, Matthew Williams, a Black man, was accused of shooting and killing his white employer. Williams himself suffered gunshot wounds in the incident and was being treated at Peninsula General Hospital when men entered the ward, lifted him out of bed and threw him out the window to a waiting mob. He was marched to the courthouse where he was beaten, stabbed and lynched. His body was then burned before a cheering crowd. A second Black victim, who was never identified, was later found beaten to death in the wake of the Williams lynching.

The commemoration started with a symbolic march from TidalHealth Peninsula Regional’s parking lot at the corner of Rt. 13 and Carroll St. to the Wicomico County courthouse. This is the same route that lynching victim Matthew Williams was dragged before being unjustly and violently lynched in the heart of Downtown Salisbury.

The march was followed by a symbolic soil collection from the site where Matthew Williams was lynched. Three jars were filled representing the three lynching victims in Salisbury’s history.

The official unveiling ceremony included speeches from local leaders, descendants of the victims, representatives from the Equal Justice Initiative, Sherrilyn Ifill (President and Director Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) and members of the City’s Lynching Memorial Task Force.

Baltimore County Coalition holds 2nd Community Engagement Forum

On Saturday, January 23 the Baltimore County Coalition of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project held a virtual public community engagement forum to rededicate itself to the cause of truth and reconciliation, attract new members to the group and review its achievements over the past year.

The program began with a stirring recital of an original poem, “I Can’t Breathe” by 17-year old Sanai Ramona Eaton-Martinez, a 12th grader from Prince George’s County. Her poem was a finalist in the National Youth Foundation’s “I Matter” contest and enthralled her audience.

Baltimore County Executive, John Olszewski, Jr., extended his greetings and support for the Coalition’s truth and reconciliation efforts and emphasized his administration’s commitment to racial equity in Baltimore County.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation by Dr. Shanedra Nowell, Director of the Writing Project at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Nowell discussed the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and then shared novel strategies the Project has developed to teach the history of the Race Massacre and spark conversations about racism and social justice. The intent is to help lead students to envision the transformations they want to see in their own communities.

The MLMP award-winning documentary short, “Outrage in Rockland: The Lynching of Howard Cooper” was screened and was followed by a discussion led by Charles Chavis, Ph.D, Vice Chair of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Justice Commission on the importance of “changing the narrative” in recounting the history and consequences of racism and white supremacy in Maryland and America.

New and ongoing outreach efforts undertaken by the Coalition were discussed and a call to action was issued for others to join the groups efforts.

The conference was recorded and is available in two parts, which can be screened by clicking through the agenda images below.

MLMP creates new web pages for county coalitions

“Marching for Change” at the Lewis Museum

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture provided the following information about its recently opened exhibit, "Make Good Trouble: Marching for Change".

The exhibition tells the stories of Maryland artists and citizen protestors who took to the street to raise awareness about social injustices in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Just as the photo of Emmett Till’s mangled body in the pages of Jet magazine in 1955 propelled the Civil Rights Movement, the video of George Floyd gasping for air and calling for his mother, along with the deaths of Ahmaud Arberyand Breonna Taylor, sparked another movement. 

From small American towns to major international cities, citizens took to the streets with masks on and fists raised to call for an end to systemic racism. 

Reminiscent of the 1995 Million Man March, the recent Black Lives Matter protests call for action to address the economic and social issues that have adversely affected Black people for centuries. The subject matter will feature a collection of protest signs, photographs, murals, and buttons, collected from activists from around the state. On display are four panel murals from the artistic collective, “Unity through Art,” originally on view at Patterson Park, Baltimore City.

Other highlighted work includes a visual experience, loaded with intersecting images – “Inside the Van,” 2017, created by Taha Heydari. The artist took inspiration from his own experiences during the 2015 uprising after the death of Freddie Gray. Other works include, paintings by artist Michael Bruley; protest photographers by Diane Butts, Hillary Davis, Will Kirk, and Kyle Pompey. Along with a 10-minute film produced by, Shelton Hawkins, Marlee Dashiell, and Devon Beck named "Peace of Mind,", the film depicts the story of three men who traveled to Washington, DC, on Juneteenth 2020, for a protest. The exhibition also includes signs made by everyday citizens as they marched against police brutality this summer. 

The exhibition was inspired by the late Representative John R. Lewis, who famously said, “Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” Lewis was well known for his lifelong fight for change, young people globally have demonstrated their commitment to make good trouble.

This exhibit was organized by the Lewis Museum staff and guest curated by Dr. Leslie King Hammond and Dr. Lowery Sims.

For more information about the exhibit and museum, click: https://lewismuseum.org

According to State Police, the resident claims the dummy is intended as a scarecrow, although given the increasing number and tone of complaints it is sparking, many (if not most) interpret it quite differently. (See WUSA news coverage.)

The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project has received a number of complaints and reports about the effigy in recent months. We have written to the Garrett County State's Attorney requesting clarification on what the County intends to do about this racist display. You can read the letter HERE.

In our letter, we pointed out that two laws passed in the abbreviated 2020 session of the Maryland General Assembly have bearing on the case:

• SB 161 prohibits the display of hate symbols (including a noose) with the intent of intimidating a person or group;

• SB 606 closes a loophole in Maryland's hate crimes law so it is no longer necessary that hate is the ONLY motivating factor for a crime to qualify as a hate crime

Additionally, as reported in a previous edition of this newsletter, the MD State Court of Special Appeals rejected a "freedom of speech" challenge to Maryland's hate crime law, "the First Amendment does not protect bias-motivated speech". 

In our letter to the county's State's Attorney we pointed out that the clear racist undertones of the effigy evoke the legacy of racial terror lynching in Maryland and the country. We further believe that message is not lost on anyone who drives by the display regardless of what the property owner may claim about its intentions. 

Although the display has been tolerated for years, we urged the state's attorney to recognize that the social and racial awakening sweeping the nation offers an opportunity to take meaningful remedial action. 

Cooper lynching remembered in Towson

Just after midnight on July 13, 1885 Howard Cooper, a 15-year old boy, was lynched at the old Baltimore County jail in Towson. His murderers began their assault on the night of Sunday, July 12. That grim anniversary was observed 185 years later to the day in Towson.

The Equal Justice Initiative, in partnership with the Baltimore County Coalition and MLMP will install an historical marker at the site of Cooper’s lynching this fall.

Sun reports grim discovery at Hopkins site

Statement from MD Lynching Memorial Project

We applaud Johns Hopkins University for its swift condemnation in the wake of the discovery of a noose at an off-campus construction site, and its decision to immediately launch an investigation into what it calls a potential hate crime. We might make the case that there is nothing “potential” here.

There is nothing subtle or ambiguous about what a noose represents to people who have been the victims of a systematic and violent campaign of racial terror for centuries, or to the nation that has tolerated it. It is an unmistakable symbol of hatred and racism. The only conceivable purpose for leaving this hideous calling card is intimidation.

It may not be entirely surprising that in this summer of extraordinary hope, when masses of Americans are taking to the streets to demand racial justice, that a few cowards would reply with gasps of defiant dissonance.

It is sad and sobering. No civilized society can shrug its shoulders at such an affront.

On this Independence Day it is entirely appropriate for us to summon the outrage and resolve Frederick Douglass expressed in his iconic 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”:

“Oh, had I the ability, and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would, today, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.”

VOX looks at context of recent racial terror episodes

The recent spate of racial terror killings in the midst of ongoing national protests around racial justice has prompted renewed interest in the history of racist violence in this country. In an interview just published by VOX, MD Lynching Memorial Project board member, Nicholas Creary, Ph.D., says racist violence has evolved, but has never disappeared. The interview can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail at right.

June 15, 2020 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project issued the following statement regarding recent possible lynchings in California:

The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project is extremely concerned by the disturbing circumstances surrounding the deaths of Malcolm Harsh on May 31 and Robert Fuller on June 10 in Southern California. Both were African American men found hanging in trees, and both county coroners ruled their deaths as suicides. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to both men’s families, and we join their calls for independent and impartial investigations of the deaths so that the truth may be known, and the families may receive a measure of justice and peace. 

In these days of sustained struggle for racial justice and an end to the systemic white supremacy that undergirds our society and its institutions, we lift their names up with those of Ahmaud Aubrey, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and countless other victims of racial terror, many known and others whose names are lost to the ages. We honor them all and in so doing dignify their lives and their memories. 

Towson “takes a knee” for justice

They only had a few hours advance notice. Nonetheless, approximately 150 people turned out in Towson on Sunday, May 31 to "Take a Knee for Justice". 

The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project organized the silent and peaceful gathering to demonstrate our solidarity with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Aumhad Aubrey and other black victims of racial terror.

Everyone who assembled for the brief, moving ceremony was asked to “take a knee” and remain kneeling for 9 minutes, which represents the amount of time former Officer Derek Chauvin applied lethal force to the neck of Mr. Floyd. 
 
The action was well received by those in attendance and received positive coverage in the news media (see below). 

Our thanks to the Baltimore County Police Departmentfor its help and to everyone who came out and made the day a meaningful and affirmative experience.

Click through for additional news coverage:

Grad student creates new lynching website

State High Court affirms hate crime conviction for Glenelg High School incident

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld the hate crime convictions of four former students at Glenelg High School for defacing school property with racist graffiti and swastikas.

A student had appealed the conviction claiming his First Amendment right to free speech protected him. The three-judge panel unanimously rejected that claim.

A summary of the case can be found in this ARTICLE from Courthouse News Service, which includes remarks from Maryland Lynching Memorial Project board member Charles Chavis, Ph.D. Dr. Chavis is also a member of the Maryland Lynching Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

Salisbury, MD to create permanent memorial honoring three lynching victims in Wicomico County

Salisbury, Maryland Mayor Jake Day committed his city to the creation of a permanent monument that will honor and memorialize the three known victims of racial terror lynchings in Wicomico County. The memorial is among several recommendations delivered to the Mayor by the city’s Human Rights Advisory Committee. The efforts are to be guided by a Lynching Memorial Task Force. Residents of Salisbury, Wicomico and the lower Eastern Shore are eligible to serve on the Task Force and may apply HERE.

In announcing the formation of the Lynching Memorial Task Force the Mayor noted, “the scars left upon a community by coordinated acts of mob violence don’t heal overnight. They don’t heal over decades. They can only begin to heal when we acknowledge and address the reprehensible acts themselves.”

Details and additional recommendations of Salisbury’s Human Rights Advisory Committee can be found in the city’s press release which can be viewed HERE.

Maryland’s First EJI Historical Marker is Dedicated in Anne Arundel County