The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill to create a commission to study the legacy of slavery in Maryland and issue a report in December 2027 recommending reparatory measures for descendants of slaves (Supporters of bill to study slavery reparations urge Gov. Wes Moore to sign it, May 10, 2025).

I urge Gov. Wes Moore to veto this legislation as redundant, distracting, an excuse for delay, and “too little, too late.”

We have already repeatedly studied the problem. I was chair of the most recent state commission on the legacy of slavery in Maryland. We produced some informative publications, as did two prior state commissions.

I have taught and written about slavery and its consequences for more than 50 years and I have joined a host of teachers, writers, and artists producing reports, books, and exhibits about slavery and its lamentable legacy in Maryland.

We do not need another two years of “study.” With a Black governor, a Black attorney general, and a progressive legislature in place, what we need is action — bold, targeted action! Another study with a minuscule budget would just kick the can down the road.

State government should, instead, immediately embark on serious reparatory actions in housing, health, education, minority business, criminal justice, and other areas. We should act with Dr. King’s “fierce urgency of now.”

We must not accept excuses about money. Maryland is a wealthy state, consistently ranked third among all the states in median household income, behind only Massachusetts and New Jersey. Maryland is relatively small and strategically located, has moderate weather, and is home to many powerful institutions.

We must aggressively address foundational structures that have held back African Americans for decades. We must build new avenues to prosperity for people of color. And we must do it now.

Vetoing this reparations study bill might be politically difficult, but we elected Gov. Moore to make difficult decisions, not just the easy ones. He and the legislators should proceed with urgency and use every tool they have, or can create, to address the consequences of slavery.

Gov. Moore should also commit to issuing regular reports, at least quarterly, identifying concrete reparatory actions taken by his administration.

Larry S. Gibson is a professor at the Francis King Carey School of Law in the University of Maryland.

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