This February, the Maryland Democratic Party proudly commemorates Black History Month, and honors the many Black Marylanders who have shaped our nation’s history.
Maryland has played an outsized role in the history of African Americans. From our state’s shameful participation in the Atlantic slave trade rose the seeds of abolition, civil rights, and freedom. Larger-than-life African Americans that have shaken the nation– Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; and most recently Congressman Elijah Cummings— all hail from the Great State of Maryland. We honor their enduring legacies, and pledge to continue their fight to secure equal justice, liberty, and opportunity for all.
We also recognize the many Black Marylanders who currently serve as trailblazers for the rest of the nation. In the Maryland General Assembly, House Speaker Adrienne Jones became the first African-American and the first woman to ever hold the position. And in our own organization, Chair Yvette Lewis and Executive Director Eva Lewis (no relation) made the MD Dems the first state Democratic Party in the nation to be led by African American women in both leadership roles.
To those who have made, and continue to make history– we salute you. And to the countless African American Democratic leaders in the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, U.S. Congress, County Executive seats, Mayorships, and local offices around the state– we proudly stand with you in the fight to continue improving the lives of all Marylanders.Â
While the fight for racial equality has come a long way, we are nowhere near finished. We believe that addressing historic social, economic and political inequities faced by black communities is a moral imperative. As we recognize Black History Month this year, may we renew our commitment to improving the lives of Maryland’s black communities by uplifting our leading black voices, supporting smart policies, and electing Democrats up and down the ballot.