The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission will hold a public hearing on lynching in Prince George’s County in partnership with the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project (PGCLMP) on Saturday, January 25th from 10am to 2pm at Bowie State University. The Maryland state legislature established the Commission in 2019 to research cases of lynching, hold public hearings in communities where racial terror lynchings took place, and develop recommendations for addressing the legacies of lynching. Maryland is the only state with such a commission. The Commission will submit a final report to the legislature in December 2025.
The Prince George’s County hearing will include presentations on the history of African Americans in PGC, stories of the four Black men who were victims of documented racial terror lynchings in the county, testimonies from descendants of the lynching victims, perpetrators, and enslavers, presentations by expert witnesses on the enduring impact of racial terror lynching, and public comment from community organizations.
UU’s are leaders in the PGCLMP: PBUUC Minister Emerita Rev. Diane Teichert is co-chair, PBUUC Board Member and Worship Associate Lula Beatty is co-secretary and chair of the Racial Justice Essay and Creative Arts Contest, and PBUUC Affiliate Minister Rev. Karen Scrivo chairs a student engagement project at the University of Maryland and is writing the victim stories which will be read aloud by college students. All Souls Unitarian-DC member Sharon Kniss is planning trauma-informed support during and after the hearing.
The PGCLMP invites and encourages all to witness this historic hearing, free to the public, either on site or through streaming. Pre-registration is encouraged: https://
Rev. Diane Teichert(she/her)