The Maryland General Assembly has passed a bill creating a commission to study reparations to the descendants of enslaved people.
The legislation, which passed the House of Delegates Wednesday evening, instructs the commission to study types of reparations and what they would cost. Options include not just cash payments but also property tax rebates, licensing and permit fee waivers, business incentives, child care support, and help with house down payments and college tuition.
The measure also says the commission should study the history of slavery in Maryland; the number of Maryland residents descended from enslaved people; how public and private institutions benefited from slavery; and processes for approving potential benefits, including how to verify that someone’s ancestor was enslaved.
The commission must submit recommendations to the governor and the General Assembly by November 2027.
During Wednesday’s debate in the House of Delegates, Republican lawmakers raised concerns about the potential price tag of the commission’s recommendations.
“It’s a commission to set up a reparation tax,” said Del. Matthew Morgan, a Republican who represents part of St. Mary’s County. “I think it's disgraceful that we're going to set up a reparation tax that might tax one race and give to another race.”
But Democrats, especially Black lawmakers, defended the bill in a series of impassioned speeches.
“The stain that is in the skin of our state is never going to be fully rubbed out, but what we can do through this study is that we can shine a light on the dark corners of this history and give the specific descendants of that harm the dignity of being seen, acknowledged, and repaired.” said House Majority Whip Jazz Lewis, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, who described himself as “a proud descendant of enslaved Africans.”
Prince George’s County Del. Jamila Woods said Harriet Tubman was her fifth-generation great-aunt. Her ancestors were brought to the United States from Ghana and enslaved.
The Democrat called the legislation “a bold and necessary step.”
“My family continues to be impacted today from the egregious actions of the past,” Woods said. “The historical injustices that benefited some continue as some in this very room still enjoy, perhaps unintentionally, unearned, ongoing generational wealth and white privilege without acknowledgement or thought for concrete intentions toward restitution to those harmed.”
