Braxton Institute Reparations Leaders Featured in NBC4 Special

The Braxton Institute continues to lead the conversation on reparative justice and community restoration, as highlighted in a recent NBC4 special. The segment featured Dr. Joanne Braxton, founder and President of the Braxton Institute, alongside Maxine Gross, College Park Reparative Justice Commission Chair and Braxton Institute’s Reparations for Lakeland Now! initiative. 

The NBC4 feature spotlighted ongoing efforts to address the legacy of displacement and racial injustice in Lakeland, Maryland, a historically Black community profoundly impacted by urban renewal policies. Dr. Braxton and Maxine Gross have been instrumental in advancing the Lakeland community’s pursuit of reparations, working to restore historical memory, advocate for policy change, and ensure that affected families receive long-overdue justice.

Through the Braxton Institute’s interdisciplinary approach—bridging history, ethics, and restorative justice—the organization is fostering meaningful dialogues and building strategic partnerships. Their work extends beyond Lakeland, strengthening connections with other reparations initiatives and Indigenous communities seeking justice.

The feature on NBC4 underscores the growing momentum for reparative justice and affirms the Braxton Institute’s role as a national leader in this movement. As the conversation continues to gain traction, the Institute remains steadfast in its commitment to truth, healing, and transformative justice.

For those who missed the broadcast, the NBC4 special is available for viewing online. Stay connected with the Braxton Institute for updates on future initiatives and ways to support the movement.

Not Just Lakeland! SB469 Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act in the Maryland Senate

On Thursday February 20th, 2025, Senator Joanne Benson along with a panel of witnesses introduced the Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act to the Education Environment and Energy subcommittee in the senate of the Maryland General Assembly. This subcommittee determines whether the bill will move on to the joint committee for voting.

The hearing that took place on the 20th was very impactful. The panel consisted of 4 citizens of Maryland, one of which was the mayor of Cambridge as well as Angela Wilson, a descendant of Jesuit enslavement in Southern Maryland. Their vivid testimonies emphasized why the bill is needed. Senator Joanne Benson began with a powerful testimony talking about her experiences with racism and talking about how this bill would help right the wrongs of the past. The Senator also talked about the other states with similar bills. Next, two members of The American Descendants of Slaves Advocacy Foundation gave powerful testimonies emphasizing the historical impact of slavery on Marylanders today and the importance of the Bill in the state. The last two to give in person testimony were Angela Wilson and Mayor Lajan Cephas, the Mayor of Cambridge, who highlighted the support of her constituents. Angela Wilson spoke passionately about what she has learned about her genealogy and history as a descendant of Jesuit enslavement, making a powerful argument for reparations due.

Senator Joanne Benson, Jordan Chadwick, and Joanne Braxton

The testimonies were well received. Maryland public access television was in attendance, interviewing members of the testimony panel. The Braxton Institute is proud of the leadership shown by Community Fellow Jordan Chadwick, descendant Angela Wilson, a friend of the Braxton Institute, and consultant Nicole Oxendine, who witnessed and documented this historic occasion. Dr. Joanne Braxton, a descendant of the Harrison family enslaved at the Montpelier plantation is Laurel, Maryland, was not present, but submitted written testimony, to be included in the record.

Angela Wilson, Jordan Chadwick, and Nicole Oxendine at the Maryland State Capitol

Testimony on SB469

by Angela Wilson

Today was a long but good day. I had the honor of giving testimony before the Maryland Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and Environment on MD SB469 – the Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act (Maryland Reparations Study for Black Descendants of Enslaved Individuals). We were required to submit our testimony in advance, and I thought I was being slick by submitting mine as “written testimony” instead of “oral and written testimony'“; My plan was to have my testimony on the record and then sit back and watch the activities unfold.

But no... Cousin Joanne Braxton let Senator Benson know I was actually in attendance. Of course, Senator Benson asked me to give my testimony before the full committee – and I have to say, that was a great move. I could tell my testimony made an impact. It was so effective that MPT was waiting for me when I came out. Eventually, I’ll have photos of me testifying – I believe a representative from the Braxton Institute took plenty as did someone from Senator Benson’s staff.

And yes! This bill needs your support. I will be contacting some of you.

From Angela Wilson’s testimony at the Maryland State Senate:

I wholeheartedly support SB469 Harriet Tubman Community Investment Act (Maryland Reparations Study for Black Descendants of Enslaved Individuals.

Disparities in education, criminal justice, and economic opportunities between whites and the descendants of the enslaved are deeply rooted in this country’s history of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism. These disparities have been shaped by centuries of discriminatory policies and practices that continue to affect individuals and communities today…

When I examine the Certificates of Freedom issued by the Registrar of Wills for Saint Mary’s County, I am sickened by the descriptions of the scars, burns, broken bones, and injuries my ancestors endured—wounds that told the story of their abuse. These certificates are just records, but they are not just history—they are the echo of violence, of a people who built this state and this nation through unimaginable suffering. Their bodies were scarred, their spirits tested, yet they endured.

We will never know, nor will we ever fully comprehend, the depth of the suffering they bore. The labor they performed, the wealth they generated, and the empire they helped build—none of it benefited them or their descendants. They endured unspeakable torture to a create a country from which they, and their progeny would never truly be free.

It is well beyond time for the State of Maryland to establish a Reparations Commission to develop and administer a program for the provision of compensatory benefits for the descendants of those enslaved in Maryland.

Read the full text of Angela’s testimony here.