Annapolis, Maryland - The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland on Thursday unveiled its agenda for 2025, with among its top priorities.

"For far too long, our communities have endured the profound consequences of unacknowledged systematic economic exploitation and physical mistreatment. This mistreatment rooted in the legacy of slavery, segregation, and discriminatory practices has left lasting scars that have yet to be adequately addressed, and we have not undertaken any major statewide attempts to acknowledge or make amends for these historic injustices," Delegate Aletheia McCaskill said during a Thursday press conference.

This session, lawmakers said they will prioritize legislation to establish a Maryland reparations commission. The body would be tasked with documenting and developing a policy blueprint to undo the ongoing harms of anti-Black racism, from the enslavement era through the present day.

The commission is expected to consider financial restitution among a range of measures designed to uplift historically deprived communities.

If the commission is enacted, Maryland would join California, New York, and Illinois in taking the first step toward long-overdue reparations for Black residents, a process the communities of Greenbelt and College Park have already begun at the local level.

"By taking this bold step, we are attempting to honor the resilience of those who came before us by laying the groundwork for a future that prioritizes opportunity for all," McCaskill said.

"We will confront our shared history to move closer to building a Maryland that truly lives up to its promise of fairness and equality for every resident," she added.