Remembering the Forgotten: Consecrating the Burial Sites at the Maryland House of Reformation

On the last weekend of June, approximately 30 relatives of six boys who died while incarcerated at the Maryland House of Reformation for Colored Children came together for the first time to honor the boys’ memories and speak their names at the burial site. The gathering, From Silence to Connection: Families Gathering to Honor the Forgotten Children of the House of Reformation, was moving and we at CYJ and the Forgotten Children Initiative are still processing the grief, love, and care that the weekend contained.

The gathering culminated in a powerful memorial service, where family members and supporters spoke the names of children, ordained clergy consecrated the burial grounds with libations, flowers, and prayer, and all joined in song, led by Joshua and Matthew Maxwell. These children had been denied dignity in life and in death. They were not given proper burial service. History may have forgotten them. Their families have not. And now, neither will we.

Learn more about the Forgotten Children Initiative.