MARYLAND REPARATIONS COMMISSION

Appointed by Governor: Bria Bailey; Jessica T. Fauntleroy; Lawrence P. Jackson, Ph.D.; Robert Richard Allen Turner, D.Min.; Lae'l Hughes-Watkins; one vacancy

Appointed by Senate President: five vacancies

Appointed by House Speaker: Alethia R. McCaskill; N. Scott Philips; Rev. Diane Teichert; two vacancies.

Appointed jointly by Senate President & House Speaker: Willie Flowers

Appointed by Maryland Legislative Black Caucus;: David L. Reed, Ph.D.; Raymond A. Winbush, Ph.D.

Appointed by Chair, Maryland Commission for African American History & Culture: Robert J. Patterson, Ph.D.

Appointed by Chair, Maryland Lynching Truth & Reconciliation Commission: Nicholas Creary, Ph.D.

Appointed by President, Maryland Center for History & Culture: David H. Armenti

Appointed by President, Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce: David Mith

Appointed by President, Baltimore Chapter, National Association of Real Estate Brokers: Shelia Russell-Williams

Appointed by President, Association for the Study of African American Life & History: Karsonya (Kaye) Whitehead, Ph.D.

Ex officio: Brooke E. Lierman, Comptroller of Maryland; Dereck E. Davis, State Treasurer; Elaine Rice Bachmann, State Archivist.

Staff: Christopher E. Haley

State Archives, Edward C. Papenfuse State Archives Building, 350 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, Maryland, October 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Final Report to Governor & General Assembly due Dec. 1, 2028 (Chapter 9, Acts of 2025 Special Session; Chapter 6, Acts of 2026).

In July 2025, the General Assembly initially authorized the Maryland Reparations Commission (Chapter 9, Acts of 2025 Special Session). Commission duties and membership were defined further in July 2026 (Chapter 6, Acts of 2026).

The Commission is to study and make recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be offered to individuals impacted by historical inequality. It will examine reparation payments made and benefits offered in the United States by the federal government, states, cities, religious institutions, and colleges and universities. Further, it will consider the types of benefits appropriate for reparations, including official statements of apology, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, social service assistance, licensing and permit fee waivers and reimbursement, down payment assistance for the purchase of residential real property, business incentives, child care, debt forgiveness, and higher education tuition payment waivers and reimbursement. In addition, the Commission will take into consideration the history of slavery in Maryland, and the number of individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State; inequitable government policies, the size of the impacted populations, and how public and private institutions benefited from these policies; as well as any other topic deemed appropriate by the Commission.

Recommendations made by the Commission are to include:

1) common procedures for evaluating evidence of the lineage of potential recipients;
2) information necessary to be included in any application to verify lineage and receive reparations;
3) eligibility requirements for applicants, if any, including appropriate methods of demonstrating eligibility;
4) a process for approving applications for benefits;
5) an estimate of the costs associated with awarding any type of reparations recommended by the Commission.

Should monetary compensation be a type of reparation recommended, then the Commission will note: the amount of monetary compensation recommended and method of calculating that amount, including, as appropriate: the length and conditions of the enslavement of the individual or individuals from whom the applicant is descended; or the level and impact of the economic disparity suffered. Also to be recommended are potential sources of funding, including fees paid by private businesses and organizations in the State that have benefited from the institution of slavery or inequitable government policies; the feasibility of creating and administering a reparations fund; and appropriate methods for distributing the recommended compensation, including the use of fiscal agents, business incubators, community development corporations, credit unions, or other community institutions.

Twenty-eight members constitute the Commission. Among these, six are appointed by the Governor, and five members each are appointed by the Senate President and House Speaker, who jointly name an additional member. Three members serve ex officio.

Authorization for the Commission ends June 30, 2029.

Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@maryland.gov

This web site is presented for reference purposes under the doctrine of fair use. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user. Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website! [ Archives' Home Page  ||  Maryland Manual On-Line  ||  Reference & Research ||  Search the Archives   ||  Education & Outreach  ||  Archives of Maryland Online ] Governor     General Assembly    Judiciary     Maryland.Gov

� Copyright September 08, 2026 Maryland State Archives