Commission Formed to Investigate Unmarked Graves of Black Children at Cheltenham Site

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced appointments this week to the newly created Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, following the passage of Senate Bill 776 and House Bill 552 during the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session.

According to the Office of the Attorney General, the commission will investigate the history of the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, a state-supported institution in Cheltenham, Prince George’s County, where hundreds of Black children died between the 1870s and 1941 while confined at the facility. Many of the children, some reportedly as young as five years old, are believed to be buried in largely unmarked graves on the former institution’s grounds adjacent to the Cheltenham State Veterans Cemetery.

“For decades, the remains of hundreds of Black children have lain in unmarked graves on the grounds of a shuttered institution that was supposed to keep them safe,” Attorney General Brown said in a statement released Tuesday. “We will not let these children be lost to history. This commission reflects Maryland’s commitment to confronting its painful history honestly and ensuring that those who were failed by this State are not forgotten by it.”

The commission was established by the Maryland General Assembly to oversee forensic, archaeological, and historical research connected to the burial site and the institution itself. Officials said the commission will also engage descendants and impacted communities while developing recommendations related to memorialization, education, acknowledgment, and broader systemic reform.

Attorney General Brown will serve as chair of the commission, with administrative support provided by the Office of the Attorney General.

Among those appointed to the commission are William C. Smith Jr., Jeffrie E. Long Jr., Maryland Historical Trust Director Elizabeth Hughes, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture Chair Kali-Ahset Amen, among others.

Mr. Long, who sponsored the legislation creating the commission, described the effort as a long-overdue attempt to confront a painful chapter in Maryland history.

“For far too long, the stories of the young boys who suffered at the House of Reformation were buried beneath silence and forgotten history,” Mr. Long said. “This Commission is about finally telling the truth out loud and making sure those children are seen, heard, and remembered with the dignity they were denied for generations.”

Mr. Smith also emphasized the importance of preserving difficult historical truths.

“The Commission offers our state the opportunity to reckon with past injustices and the hope of securing a more equitable future for every Marylander,” Mr. Smith said. “The work of this Commission is ever more important in a time when so much of our complicated history is being erased and actively forgotten.”

Several public member positions remain vacant and are currently accepting applications. Those positions include a descendant of a child believed to be buried at the site, a former resident of the institution or former justice-involved youth, an academic expert in related fields, a representative from a historically Black college or university in Maryland, a representative from a civil rights organization, and two individuals with experience in civil rights advocacy and litigation.

The commission is expected to hold its inaugural public meeting in August. An initial report to the governor and General Assembly is due by Dec. 31, 2027, with a final report due by Dec. 31, 2029. The commission is scheduled to terminate on June 30, 2030.

Families who believe a loved one may be buried at the site, along with individuals interested in serving on the commission, are encouraged to contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Equity, Policy, and Engagement at HORCommission@oag.maryland.gov or 410-230-1700.