Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Hearing
November 16, 2024 @ 10:00AM — 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Leonardtown Library: 23630 Hayden Farm Lane Leonardtown, MD 20650 Get Directions
St. Mary's County, Calvert County, and Charles County Regional Public Hearing
The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC) will hold a Southern Maryland Regional hearing in St. Mary's County on November 16, 2024, as part of its ongoing effort to bring awareness to Maryland's history of racial violence and to foster reconciliation in the present. Research reveals that at least two Black men were lynched in St. Mary's and Calvert Counties and no fewer than 38 were lynched across Maryland.
The hearing will focus on the history of lynching in the Southern Maryland Region, including the killings of
- Charles Whitley (Prince Frederick, Calvert County) June 6, 1886
- Benjamin Hance (Leonardtown, St. Mary's County) June 17, 1887
Descendants of the victims and aggressors, expert witnesses, community members, scholars, and archivists will have the opportunity to provide testimony and make recommendations for achieving racial healing. Community members are encouraged to submit their testimony to mltrc@maryland.gov or bring their written testimony to be collected at the public hearing.
HEARING DETAILS
When: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Time (in person and streaming): 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Leondartown Library, Leonardtown Library 23630 Hayden Farm Lane, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Parking is located adjacent to the library.
Please register to attend.
If you are unable to attend in person, a link to the live stream will be posted on MLTRC’s website the morning of the hearing.