Capitol Accountability Project, Supported by NAACP, Residents and Local Advocates, Urges Anne Arundel County to Implement Enforceable Repair Framework for Black Descendants of Slavery

The Capitol Accountability Project (CAP), a data-driven grassroots initiative focused on government transparency, racial equity, and policy accountability, has formally demanded the Anne Arundel County Government to adopt an enforceable framework for atonement and repair for Black Americans descended from U.S. chattel slavery. This demand is supported by community advocates, faith leaders, businesses, and civil rights organizations, including the Anne Arundel County NAACP and the Coalition for Atonement and Repair.

In an open letter sent to County Executive Steuart Pittman—with copies to the County Council, the Office of Equity & Human Rights, and state officials—CAP writes that the county must move beyond symbolic gestures to implement structural, measurable reforms. According to the letter, "Black Americans descended from U.S. chattel slavery are owed meaningful, tangible, and measurable repair—not ceremonial apologies or symbolic acknowledgment.”

CAP's proposed blueprint for repair is built upon four pillars:

  - Lineage-based, disaggregated data collection

  - Enforceable metrics tied to structural outcomes

  - Formal descendant and community governance

  - Long-term investment mechanisms durable enough to outlast political turnover

The organization contends that comprehensive data and enforceable metrics are essential for credibly implementing and evaluating any repair efforts.

The letter outlines seven requirements CAP insists the county must adopt to pursue credible repair:

1.  Establish a Cabinet-Level Office of Black American Freedman Affairs.

2.  75% of the Community Reinvestment & Repair Fund allocated to Black owned and Black led organizations. 

3.  Implement countywide “Just Community” designations ensuring equitable budgeting and anti-displacement protections.

4.  Advance economic and land-based repair initiatives, including reparative homeownership and contracting equity enforcement.

5.  Adopt a 40% Black hiring benchmark, prioritizing long-term descendants of U.S. chattel slavery.

6.  Require equity clauses in county contracts with meaningful penalties.

7.  Support the creation of a Maryland State Reparations Commission.

“These seven demands constitute the minimum standard for legitimate repair,” CAP asserts.

CAP is demanding that Anne Arundel County schedule a formal negotiation session within 60 days to begin developing a binding community repair framework agreement. The letter concludes with a strong message: “Atonement is not a press release. Repair is not symbolic language. Justice is not performance.”

The letter will remain open for signatures until the County agrees to meet with our collective organizations. Signatures can be added here: Support of Atonement and Repair.