Maryland Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Project

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC) is the first of its kind in the United States, and as such, holds the potential to serve as a model for communities across the country that continue to bear the weight of the brutal history of racial terror lynching. Created by statute in 2019, MLTRC is charged with: holding public regional hearings in areas where a lynching of an African American by a white mob has been documented; receiving recommendations from the public, including families and communities affected by lynching, for addressing, engaging, and reconciling affected families and communities; and making recommendations for addressing the legacy of lynching that are rooted in the spirit of restorative justice. The Commission may also research cases of racially motivated lynchings that are not documented but are brought to its attention, and the involvement of government entities and news media in racially motivated lynchings. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) serves as staff to the Commission and may issue subpoenas for a witness to testify or for the production of documents in connection with any investigation or hearing conducted by the Commission. In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly extended the deadline for MLTRC's final report to December 2023, with the Commission set to sunset in June of 2024.

To assist the Commission in achieving its mandate, the OAG applied for and was awarded nearly $300,000 under the FY20 "Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program; Emmett Till." Over the past three years, the Emmett Till grant has supported work by funding its Program Manager and allowing MLTRC to procure the services of genealogists, research historians, social workers, and other consultants to expand the documentation and public understanding of the more than 40 known cases of racial terror lynching in Maryland and host five of thirteen planned public hearings across the State.

In recognition of the prolonged delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of completing historical research and engaging and coordinating stakeholders for public hearings, the Maryland General Assembly again extended the MLTRC's timeline for completing its work through June of 2026. As a result, OAG is seeking approximately $167,000 in additional funding under the BJA FY 2023 Invited to Apply Solicitation for the Courts, Communities and Strategic Partnerships Team to assist the Commission in completing its work. This funding will serve three key purposes: (1) to continue and increase the Project Manager's work in supporting the Commission through its sunset; (2) to fund the services of a marketing/public relations firm to raise awareness and generate community interest in the work of the Commission, particularly for purposes of increasing public participation and engagement with the public hearings; and (3) to allow MLTRC to hire a consultant to synthesize the compiled research and public hearing findings, analyze the relationship between racial terror lynchings in Maryland and continuing racial abuses and disparities, and survey national trends and initiatives to address racial trauma and support racial healing. This analysis will be included in MLTRC's final report and provide context for its recommendations for addressing the legacy of racial terror lynchings. The grant will also be used to support MLTRC and OAG representatives in peer-to-peer learning with other grantees and justice agencies by attending conferences.