A historical marker for the House of Reformation unveiled earlier this month at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Prince George's County. The marker will be placed nearby at the corner of Frank Tippett and Surratts roads. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
Six people are still needed to fill out the Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, but the first 14 members were announced Wednesday for the commission, which will be chaired by Attorney General Anthony Brown (D).
One of the commission’s main charges is be to “research the history, operations, and resident deaths” at the former House of Reformation “and provide a complete and public accounting of the children who died and were buried on the grounds.” At least 230 Black youth are buried, some in unmarked graves or graves marked with cinder blocks, on the property that sits between the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center and the Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery in southern Prince George’s County.
“For decades, the remains of hundreds of Black children have lain in unmarked graves on the grounds of a shuttered institution that was supposed to keep them safe,” Brown said in a statement. “We will not let these children be lost to history. This commission reflects Maryland’s commitment to confronting its painful history honestly and ensuring that those who were failed by this State are not forgotten by it.”
The commission was established under Senate Bill 776 and House Bill 552, sponsored by Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) and Del. Jeffrie Long Jr. (D-Prince George’s), respectively. The two were appointed by the House and Senate presiding officers to serve on the commission.
Other members announced by Brown included:
- Elizabeth Hughes, director of the Maryland Historical Trust;
- Kali-Ahset Amen, chair of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture;
- Julie M. Schablitsky, chief archaeologist for the state Department of Transportation State Highway Administration; and
- Peter Ramsey, director of social studies with the state Department of Education.
Slots still to be filled include two individuals with experience in civil rights advocacy and litigation; a representative from a historically Black college or university in the state; an academic expert in forensic anthropology, archaeology, African American history or “other related disciplines;” and a former resident or descendant of someone buried at the school.
For more information on wanting to serve on the commission, can go to the attorney general’s website. After all members have been appointed, the commission’s first meeting is scheduled for August.
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The panel has to deliver a preliminary report on the progress of its investigation by Dec. 31, 2027. A final report, due by Dec. 31, 2029, must contain information such as historical analysis of institutional policies and practices, an accounting of the group’s expenditures and “recommendations for acknowledgment, memorial, reburial, reparative measures and policy reforms.”
Meanwhile, a historical marker was unveiled earlier this month that not only honors the Black youth who lived and died at the reform school, but also touches on the state’s racial history.
Paging Dr. Freud…
We know what she meant. She knows what she meant. The governor knows what she meant. But it’s hard to avoid thinking that there might have been a little nugget of truth to House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk’s (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) slip of the tongue during opening remarks at Tuesday’s bill signing ceremony, the final one of this year.
“You’re probably thinking, ‘What is she going to say that hasn’t been said already?'” said Peña-Melnyk, who followed Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), about 22 minutes into the 30 minutes of opening remarks.
She proceeded to talk about a handful of the more than 270 bills that were signed into law, but went off-script when it came to the housing reform bills that were part of the governor’s legislative agenda during the session.
“Another key to opportunity is housing, but I’m not going to bore you,” she said, as she turned toward Moore, “because you did a good job of that.”
As the room burst into laugher, led by Moore, the speaker shuffled her prepared remarks and added, “You did a good job, I’m going to skip two paragraphs.”
Taylor, Celentano take new roles
Funk & Bolton will add Allison Taylor to its government relations practice and named Matthew Celentano as chair of government relations.
Taylor was most recently the head of government relations for the mid-Atlantic at Kaiser Permanente and will be of counsel in the goverenment relations group at Funk & Bolton, and will be an affiliate with the firm’s insurance regulation and business practice group. She previously worked as counsel for the Senate Finance Committee in the General Assembly and was chief of staff for public health services at the Maryland Department of Health.
Celentano, a government relations principal, was elevated to chair as part of the rapid growth of the government relations practice in recent years. Celentano said he was “grateful for the trust Ren [Funk & Bolton managing shareholder Ren Tundermann] and the firm have placed in me.”
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“Allison is a known and trusted voice in her industry, and throughout policy making spaces in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic,” Tundermann said. “With Matt Celentano’s dynamism and vision leading our Government Relations practice, we’ll continue to find new and valuable way to serve our clients.”
Paging Patrick Mahomes…
The state Board of Education and the Accountability and Implementation Board, which oversees progress of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, met in a joint session Thursday. Anyone who showed up expecting conflicts and ego clashes between the two independent bodies with the similar portfolios would have left the meeting disappointed.
There was no singing of “Kumbaya.” But it wasn’t far off.
AIB Chair and former Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett took time out from the day’s business to say that not only has he been pleased with the working relationship with the state Board of Education, but he is also “a big fan” of State Superintendent Carey Wright.
Leggett called Wright the Patrick Mahomes of superintendents, comparing her to the Super-Bowl winning NFL quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“She’s done a terrific job,” Leggett said. “I’m delighted with the cooperation between the two boards. We work closely together. Any concerns and challenges we have, we try to work those out between our staffs. We still have a long way to go. We’re not done yet.”
When Leggett asked if AIB Vice Chair William “Brit” Kirwan if he had anything to add, Kirwan knew he wouldn’t top a Mahomes comparison.
“I can’t follow up on those excellent comments,” Kirwan said to a few chuckles from said amongst a few chuckles from those in attendance. “Applaud your recognition of our superintendent.”
Originally published at Marylandmatters.Org