Event

Thomas Juricks Community Remembrance

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On March 11, 2023, members of the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project, the Chapel Hill Citizen Association, and youth volunteers and their mentors from Union Bethel Church gathered at the lot adjoining Grace United Methodist Church in Fort Washington to collect soil in remembrance of the life and tragic death of Thomas Juricks, at the approximate site of his death. On October 12, 1869, Juricks became the victim of a racial terror lynching in Piscataway; he is the earliest known victim in Prince George’s County.

On April 15, 2023, over 200 county residents, PGCLMP volunteers, political leaders, and others gathered at Harmony Hall Regional Center to tell the truth of this historic tragedy, memorialize Mr. Juricks and give him the home-going he has always deserved, and dream together of how we can advance toward a future where the lingering affects of racial terror lynchings give way to true progress and equality for all.

Please enjoy this video compilation of some images from this meaningful event, created by PGCLMP member and co-secretary Katie Pugliese.

Join Us: April 15, 2023 – PGCLMP’s Community Remembrance for Mr. Thomas Juricks at Harmony Hall Regional Center

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project’s first Community Remembrance event which will honor Mr. Thomas Juricks, the first known victim of a racial terror lynching in Prince George’s County. We hope to see you there! The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required:  https://bit.ly/TJuricks2023.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 15th, 2023 at the Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington.

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Local History Remembered: 

Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project (PGC LMP)

to Honor County’s Earliest Known Lynching Victim

Event: Community Remembrance for Mr. Thomas Juricks

Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023

Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Location:   Harmony Hall Arts Center in the Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD

The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project (PGC LMP), a local grassroots organization, will hold a community remembrance to honor Mr.Thomas Juricks, whose 1869 lynching is the first documented in Prince George’s County.  The community remembrance is co-sponsored by the M-NCPPC Black History Program.  The event is free and open to the public.  Registration is encouraged but not required:  https://bit.ly/TJuricks2023.

This moving program will tell the story of Mr. Thomas Juricks, a Black laborer and farmhand who lived with his family in the Piscataway area near Fort Washington and was extrajudicially murdered by a masked mob of White men on October 12, 1869. The historical aspects of his life and tragic lynching will be paired with a long overdue send-off for Mr. Juricks that will acknowledge and honor him through a libation ceremony, soil collection, music, poetry and dance. Students of several local schools will be performing.  Opportunities will be provided to the entire community to reflect and acknowledge that his life mattered and understand how this violent history reverberates into present-day issues such as white supremacy, mass incarceration and educational disparities between races.

“It has been our honor to collaborate with the Chapel Hill community of Fort Washington  in researching the history of the lynching that took place there and in presenting what we hope will meaningfully honor the life taken and commit us all to the cause of racial justice in Prince George’s County,” stated the PGC LMP Co-Chairs Crystal Carpenter, Rev. Diane Teichert, and Krystina Tucker.     

PGC LMP is a registered non-profit, all-volunteer organization affiliated with Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project (MDLMP). Its mission is to educate the public on the truths of our nation’s continuing legacy of the institution of slavery and its impact on enslaved persons and their descendants, memorialize victims of racial terror lynchings in our county, and advance the cause of racial justice and reconciliation through mutual support and collaboration.

For more information about the event, email us at princegeorgescolmp@gmail.com.

“Echoes of the Enslaved” Event

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The Prince George’s County division of M-NCPPC is hosting its annual “Echoes of the Enslaved” event September 16 and 17, 2022. This year’s event will focus on the lasting legacies of chattel slavery in Prince George’s County with Riversdale House Museum highlighting their work with descendants of those who were enslaved.

On September 16, three descendants will participate in a panel discussion at 6 p.m., followed by an opportunity for attendees to break into small discussion groups to talk about the legacies of slavery and their impact on the modern world. The second portion begins at 8 p.m. This event is free but registration is limited to 50 people. Click this link to register, and see the accompanying flyer for more information.

On September 17 from noon – 4 p.m., there will be a celebration of resilience, health and wellness on the grounds of Riversdale House Museum. The festival-like event will include musical performances, cooking demonstrations, history talks, an archaeological dig, genealogy opportunities, family wellness activities and more. This event is FREE, with no pre-registration required.

Echoes22_FINAL_updateDownload

Special General Meeting

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project will hold a special general meeting this Saturday, August 20, at 2 p.m.

Most of this meeting will be focused on planning for the soil collection ceremony to honor Mr. Thomas Juricks. We need many hands to make light work, so even if you are not on that committee, or not on any committee, please attend if you are able so you can consider ways you might be able to help. We have opportunities for folks with all types of skills and varying levels of time commitments. Something as simple as sending one email to one contact could help tremendously.

We hope to see everyone there! As always, newcomers are warmly welcomed.

PGCLMP at Juneteenth Celebrations

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is pleased to be participating in several of the local Juneteenth events this year!

We are providing an information booth at the Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation Department Juneteenth Festival at Watkins Regional Park on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 5 p.m. Come meet coalition members, learn about the history and continuing legacy of racial terror lynchings and the institution of slavery in our county, and see some of the winning artwork from our student creative arts contest. We will also be giving away prizes on the hour to folks who can answer questions about our work and the lynching victims, so be sure to read our informational materials and this website for a chance to win. For details about the event, visit this link.

Then, join members of our Education Committee at the Greenbelt Community Center gymnasium from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on June 18 for an awards ceremony honoring the winners of the arts contest and the racial justice essay contest. Hear some of the essayists read from their work and join us in celebrating the talented young people in our county. See the flyer below for more information.

Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission to Hold Public Hearing in Baltimore County on June 4, 2022

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In 2019, the Maryland General Assembly enacted, and Governor Larry Hogan signed into law, legislation establishing the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC) as the first Commission dedicated to investigating racial terror lynchings in the United States. Sponsored by Delegate Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk, House Bill 307 tasks the Commission with researching cases of lynching, holding public hearings in communities where racial terror lynchings took place and developing recommendations for addressing the legacy of lynching that are rooted in restorative justice.

The MLTRC’s hearing process will allow members of the public, including the descendants of victims, witnesses, and perpetrators, the opportunity to offer testimony about how these murders have impacted their lives and their communities in addition to allowing them the opportunity to make recommendations for achieving racial healing. The hearings will also provide an opportunity to identify and bring to light possible cases of racial terror lynching that are remembered in families and communities but for which there is little or no documentation.

The June 4th hearing will focus on the tragic lynching of Howard Cooper, a 15-year-old boy who was killed on Monday, July 13, 1885, in Towson, Maryland. Cooper was convicted of assault and rape and sentenced to death by a jury that deliberated for less than a minute. Fearing the verdict might be reversed upon appeal, a mob of masked white men dragged Cooper from his cell in the old Baltimore County Jail in Towson and hanged him from a sycamore tree next to the building. Participants may include descendants of Howard Cooper, witnesses, community members, archivists, and scholars of the community.

The hearings will also explore the involvement of State, county, and local government entities and news media in cases of racially motivated lynching. In 1898, for example, the Maryland General Assembly failed to pass proposed anti-lynching legislation. It is also well documented that county sheriffs and jailers allowed mobs to take men from jail with impunity, county state’s attorneys refused to identify and bring charges against members of lynch mobs, county coroners routinely claimed that the victims of lynching died “at the hands of parties unknown,” and newspaper coverage of these events helped to perpetuate a culture that condoned and encouraged racial terror lynchings.

This is the second public hearing conducted by MLTRC. This event would not be possible without tireless effort and planning from the Baltimore County Coalition of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project to build community partnerships.

Additional hearings will be announced as they are scheduled and published on MLTRC’s website.

HEARING DETAILS

When: Saturday, June 4, 2022
Time (in person and streaming): 9 am to 1 pm; with a 10-minute break
Where: Baltimore County Council Chambers, 400 Washington Avenue, Towson, MD 21204 How You Can Attend:

IN PERSON: Pre-registration is required. We must limit the number of people who can register due to social distancing requirements. Please let us know if you must cancel so that we may honor those on the waiting list. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation notice which you should bring with you to the hearing. You will pass through security and will be required to wear a mask and adhere to any other safety protocols that are required.

STREAMING: A link to stream the hearing will be posted on MLTRC’s website one day before the hearing.

How You Can Share Your Story:

Members of the public are encouraged to submit written testimony concerning how the lynching of Howard Cooper (or any other racially motivated lynching occurring in Baltimore County) has impacted their lives and their communities or making recommendations to address the legacy of lynching in Maryland and promote racial healing. Submit your testimony to mltrc@maryland.gov or bring your written testimony if you attend in-person.

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission can be reached at https://msa.maryland.gov/lynching-truth-reconciliation/ or via email at mltrc@maryland.gov.

The Baltimore County Coalition of the MLMP can be reached at https://www.mdlynchingmemorial.org/ or via email at baltimoreco.mdlmp@gmail.com.

The Untold Story of the 1869 Lynching of Mr. Thomas Juricks in Piscataway

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Information here: https://ww1.pgcmls.info/event/6372270

Date: Saturday, May 21, 11 AM – 12 PM

Where: Oxon Hill Library

Were you aware that a Black man was lynched in Piscataway in 1869? Likely not, as with other racial terror lynchings, these incidents were not shared historically. This presentation tells Mr. Juricks’ tragic story, one of four documented racial terror lynchings that occurred in Prince George’s County, Maryland. It also explains the necessity to tell this buried story from our past while learning about the PGCLMP and how you can get involved in their work around truth, reconciliation, and healing.

Please be advised that the status, location, or format of this event may change based on COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Please visit this page prior to traveling to the branch/venue for the program.

  • Face masks and physical distancing are required for all participants over the age of 2.
  • Please register via the link on this page or by calling (240) 455-5451 to show interest and to receive event updates.
  • Registration does not guarantee admission.
  • Participation is permitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Capacity limits may apply.

Tenga en cuenta que el estado, ubicación, o formato de este evento puede cambiar dependiendo de las condiciones de la pandemia COVID-19. Por favor, visite esta página antes de ir a la sucursal/lugar para el programa.

  • Máscaras y distancia social se requieren para todos los participantes mayores de dos años.
  • Por favor regístrese por medio del enlace en esta página o llame al (240) 455-5451 para demostrar su interés y recibir las últimas noticias.
  • La registración no garantiza su admisión. 
  • La participación se permite por orden de llegada.
  • Podrá aplicarse límites de capacidad.

How the Word Is Passed

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How the Word Is PassedDownload

Gather with us for this two-part book discussion on Clint Smith’s book, How the Word Is Passed, on April 5 and 19. The link in the flyer is clickable, but you can also RSVP here.

We welcome you to attend the second session even if you missed the first.

We are excited to have Maya Davis, Director of the Riverside House Museum, and Dr. Dennis Doster, Prince George’s County Black History Program Manager, serving as our guest facilitators for what promises to be a lively, informative and impactful discussion.

Webinar: Intersecting the Past and the Present

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You are invited to the special webinar sponsored by Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project and the Prince George’s County NAACP.

This webinar focuses on the continued struggle of African Americans and their organizations to fight modern day lynching and examines historical lessons from the past.

Thursday, January 20, 2022, 7pm – 9pm

Please download the flyer for more details.

Webinar FlyerDownload