BALTIMORE – On Saturday, September 13, 2025, Baltimore stood still at 2401 Belair Road. Community members, descendants, elected officials, clergy, and scholars gathered to lift up a truth that bulldozers and backroom deals tried to bury. Laurel Cemetery — once the sacred resting place for tens of thousands of Black Baltimoreans — was given its rightful due with the unveiling of a new commemorative sign, now visible from Belair Road.
“We are here so that Laurel is not forgotten — so that the names of those buried here are not lost forever.”
— Dr. Elgin Klugh, Coppin State University
Laurel wasn’t lost by accident. After the Laurel Cemetery Company went bankrupt in 1952, a series of maneuvers — call them what they were, abuses of power — allowed the land to be sold for just $100 in 1958. The buyers? Insiders tied to Baltimore’s own Law Department. The cemetery was leveled. Shopping centers replaced tombstones. Families were left in the dark.
As Matthew Bradford, Esq., of the Baltimore City Law Department admitted: “We cannot undo the past, but we can and must face it with honesty. Today’s dedication affirms our commitment to truth and remembrance.”
Matthew Bradford, Esq., Chief of Staff to the City Solicitor (photo credit: Omar Session)
Decades later, Dr. Ronald Castanzo and researchers at the University of Baltimore used radar and excavation to confirm what Black Baltimoreans already knew: our people are still there. Human remains lie beneath that asphalt. The ancestors never left.
Among those in attendance were descendants Sharon Haynie and her mother, Inez Penn Haynie Dodson, who only learned recently that their grandmother rests at Laurel. For Dodson, the revelation cut deep: the same land where she once shopped at Two Guys was where her grandmother had been buried.
“Every stone, every name matters. This is about remembering who we are and who came before us.”
— Sharon Haynie
Gloria Porter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society confirmed more than 27,000 burials have already been identified, with countless more yet to be uncovered.
(photo credit: Omar Session)
Senator Cory McCray (D-45) delivered a fiery message: “We must acknowledge the shoulders on which we stand.” He pledged his total commitment to the project. Other leaders present included Delegate Jackie Addison (D-45), Delegate Caylin Young (D-45), former Delegate Clarence “Tiger” Davis, and representatives from Councilman Anthony Glover’s office and Comptroller Bill Henry’s office. Governor Wes Moore also sent a citation honoring the day.
Pastor Rashad A. Singletary of Mount Olive Baptist Church lifted the moment in prayer. The Sankofa Project called on the ancestors with drumming and blessings, making sure their presence was felt. Chezia Cager, advisor to the Memorial Project, reminded Baltimore to use the project’s website to search for family names. “This is about awareness, restoring dignity, and helping families reclaim their history,” she said, announcing future improvements will be made to help descendants trace their lineage.
From Belair-Edison to Reservoir Hill, community associations showed up strong. Leaders from neighborhoods across the city stood shoulder to shoulder, proving Laurel’s story belongs to all of Baltimore. Where once sacred ground was hidden beneath asphalt, Laurel now has a visible presence again. The new commemorative sign is not just a marker. It is a declaration.
We will not let our ancestors be erased. We will tell our story in our own voice. Baltimore will remember.
For more information, or to support the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project, follow on Facebook and visit their website.
