Title
Recognizing and Remembering Racial Injustice - An Apology - For the purpose of supporting the Equal Justice Initiative; moving toward a more complete history of race relations; and affirming the City's commitment to truth, freedom and equity.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 21-18
Introduced by: Alderwoman Tierney, Alderwoman Pindell Charles,
Mayor Buckley, Alderman Savidge, Alderman Rodriguez, Alderwoman Finlayson
and Alderwoman Henson
A RESOLUTION concerning
Recognizing and Remembering Racial Injustice - An Apology
FOR the purpose of supporting the Equal Justice Initiative; moving toward a more complete history of race relations; and affirming the City's commitment to truth, freedom and equity.
WHEREAS, the City Council supports the nationwide effort of the Equal Justice Initiative, specifically, in acknowledging and condemning the lynching of thousands of victims; and
WHEREAS, 120 years ago, Alderman Wiley H. Bates offered a similar resolution condemning the lynching of Wright Smith, a black man accused of assaulting two white women, which resolution obtained only one other favorable vote and was defeated by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, "the horrific practice of lynching is a stain on our nation - and on our souls. There were over 4,700 documented lynchings in the United States. There were 29 documented lynchings in Maryland. These lynchings were public events, with members of the community colluding - either directly or indirectly - in this horrifying practice. It was no accident that they made them public - they were sending a message to other African Americans in the community. These crimes left thousands of people dead and families and communities scarred, yet 99% of these murderers were never arrested or tried for their crimes; and
WHEREAS, "for many in Maryland, the history of lynchings is the history of their family or their community. One such victim of lynching was Henry Davis who in 1906 was lynched here i...
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