Delegate from Charles County urges the House to remember difficult history during Black History Moment

Annapolis — The delegate from Charles County delivered a Black History Moment on Feb. 20, 2026 that urged colleagues to engage honestly with the history of Confederate monuments and racial violence.

The delegate recounted a conversation with a family elder and traced the erection of Confederate monuments to the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, arguing they were often intended as intimidation rather than historical commemoration. The speech cited incidents including the Wilmington insurrection, the 1919 Red Summer, the Rosewood massacre, and the Tulsa race massacre as examples of racially motivated violence that remain part of living memory for some Americans.

The delegate stated, in part, that learning history can be uncomfortable but necessary, and that acknowledging African-American contributions and suffering during Black History Month should unite rather than divide. Members applauded after the remarks.