Salisbury has yet to release an apology for past lynchings in city

SALISBURY, Md. – Advocacy groups are still waiting for a formal apology from the city of Salisbury for three previous lynching’s of Black Americans after waiting several months, especially when city officials at the time were involved with the hanging of Matthew Williams back in 1931.

Salisbury Council Woman Michelle Gregory says the city should and will apologize for its past involvement with the lynching of three men in the city, but have received some opposition on the matter.

“It is a vocal minority of people who think that the past is in the past and we should let it go, but the problem with that is that the past informs our present and our future.”

She says in order to move forward and make Salisbury an inclusive community, these injustices need to be addressed.

“This is something that we can no longer sweep this under the rug,” Gregory said. “It needs to be spoken about and it needs to be talked about.”

Gregory says the City wants to hear from some of the victims families, to be sure any apology is done right. The Wicomico NAACP President Monica Brooks says that’s what they have already done, and that’s the basis of the resolution for the apology they presented to the City Council.

Gregory agrees, an apology is necessary.

“With the city council moving into the firehouse it became even more important for us to address this,” Gregory said.

Black rights advocacy groups feel the city should be held accountable, especially with previous members involvement like the fire chief who provided one of the lynching ropes.

“For our legislatures, our people in office to move into that space without proper apologies and acknowledgement to the families particularly is a slap in the face,” Brooks said.

“It’s disrespectful, it’s shortsighted,” Brooks said. “Now mind you, we have given them plenty of opportunities to do so quietly.

“We did not start making noise until we were fed up with the entire situation.”

Both sides agree on the need for an apology, but for now, it’s just a matter of time.