Press Release: City of Annapolis Designates Site for Lynching Memorial at Northwest Street Park

The City of Annapolis is coordinating with the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project (MLMP) to create a permanent memorial at Northwest Street Park to honor the victims of lynching in Maryland. Lynching was a form of racial terror that inflicted deep harm and trauma on Black communities across the state, according to a statement released by City officials.

Located at the end of Northwest Street on College Creek, the site was selected in coordination with the Caucus of African American Leaders (CAAL), the statement said. The MLMP will lead a public competition to determine the final design for the memorial. The MLMP reports more than 6,500 Black people were lynched in the United States between 1850 and 1950, including at least 38 in Maryland.

“The City of Annapolis fully supports the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project and its mission to advance racial reconciliation by documenting the history of racial terror and honoring its victims,” said Mayor Jared Littmann. “This memorial is about more than history. It’s about honoring people, their lives, and the pain their families endured. It is a chance for the community to reflect, remember, and take a step toward healing.”

The City, the CAAL, and the MLMP are joined in support of this project by the Maryland Lynching Truth & Reconciliation Commission and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The Maryland Lynching Memorial Project is pursuing funding for the memorial. In the FY 2026 City of Annapolis budget, $1.28 million has been appropriated for park improvements, including paddle access, improved stormwater management, and expanded accessibility. 

"We appreciate the many supporters of this creative project, and look forward to partnering with the local community throughout the process,” said Amy Millin, president of the MLMP. “Mayor Littmann and the City of Annapolis’ role in providing space for the Maryland Lynching Memorial is instrumental in our collective responsibility to acknowledge the history of racial terror in Maryland, and is an important step on the journey towards truth.”

“We are grateful to Mayor Littmann and the City of Annapolis for providing an ideal space to build the Maryland Lynching Memorial,” said Will Schwarz, founder and past president of the MLMP. “It will allow us to meet our solemn responsibility to acknowledge the truth about the history of racial terror in Maryland, even as we sanctify the memories of the victims.”