July 13th Howard Cooper Community Remembrance Ceremony & Park Dedication

The Baltimore County Lynching Memorial Project (BaltCoLMP), in coordination with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, will host the 5th Annual Howard Cooper Community Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday, July 13, 2025---the 140^th anniversary of 15-year-old Howard Cooper’s lynching in Towson, Maryland.

The ceremony will include a naming ceremony for the park and highlight two new signs: one features the new name, Truth & Community Remembrance Park, and a second interpretive sign provides the story of Howard Cooper’s lynching on July 13,1885.

The program will also include:

• Greetings by Baltimore County Recreation and Parks Director Bob Smith
• A testimonial by Howard Cooper’s descendent relative, Stephanie Robinson
• Greetings from Nancy Goldring, President of Historic East Towson, a descendent community associated with the Ridgely Plantation, now the Hampton National Historical Site in Baltimore County
• This year's Howard Cooper Youth Poetry Contest Winner, who will perform their poem
• Singer Ally Hunter-Harris
• And more.

While the event is free to the public, we encourage registration for planning purposes.

Please help us turn the light of truth on this dark chapter in Baltimore County's history by making a tax-deductible contribution to the BaltCoLMP.

Your donation supports BaltCoLMP efforts to:

• Host the annual Howard Cooper Community Remembrance Ceremony by underwriting honoraria for guest speakers, performers, youth poetry contest winners, and refreshments.
• Enhance the Truth & Community Remembrance Park through volunteer gardening and art.
• Support the Voices of Truth Youth Poetry Project by underwriting honoraria for poetry contest winners and the cost of transporting city and county students to local youth poetry festivals.

Truth first.

Parking Information: The Baltimore Avenue Parking Garage is located adjacent to the Truth & Community Remembrance Park as well as metered street parking.