Baltimore County Community Engagement Forum

Join us on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 10a (ET) for this virtual public meeting as we discuss the importance of acknowledging the history of racial terror lynchings in Baltimore County. We will review what is known about two Baltimore County lynchings and discuss why it is important to acknowledge these crimes. We will consider the historic narrative around lynchings and why and how it is vital to change it. To that end, we will discuss effective ways to engage the public in these efforts in order to advance the goals of truth and reconciliation in Baltimore County, in Maryland and in our country.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Shanedra Nowell, Director of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Writing Project, will be joining us to discuss her work with Oklahoma teachers and students who are using the legacy and lessons of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre as a catalyst for change. Dr. Nowell and the OSU Writing Project teach the history of the Race Massacre in order to spark conversations about racism and social justice, and lead students to envision the transformations they want to see in their own communities.

We are honored to welcome these distinguished guests to the meeting:

• John Olszewski, Jr. - a graduate of Sparrows Point High School with degrees from Goucher College, George Washington University and UMBC, "Johnny O." is the Baltimore County Executive. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates at the age of 23 and has served as County Executive since 2018

• Charles Chavis, Ph.D. - Dr. Chavis is the Director for the John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice and Race at George Mason University. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Maryland Lynching Truth & Reconciliation Commission and is a member of the board of directors of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project
  
  
• Shanedra Nowell, Ph.D. - An Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Nowell has developed a groundbreaking workshop for educators called "Writing and Remembrance: Strategies for Teaching the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre"

Following the program, the Baltimore County Coalition will hold its regular meeting. We welcome all interested to attend and join the ranks of our volunteers.

The meeting agenda includes updates on plans for the installation ceremony for an historic marker at the old Baltimore County Jail in Towson, site of the 1885 lynching of a 15-year old Black boy, Howard Cooper. The ceremony is being held in partnership with the Equal Justice initiative.

We will also review plans for a proposed Truth and Reconciliation Park across from the jail site and will hear about ongoing outreach programs including the First Thursday Film Discussion and Anti-Racism Book Group, which is being run in partnership with the Baltimore County Public Library.

Registration is free.

A link for the meeting will be included in the post-purchase email you will receive upon completing your registration..

We look forward to seeing you on January 23.