Marietta Lecture: Reverend Josiah Henson and the Underground Railroad

By STACEY HAWKINS
Marietta House Museum

Please join us on Saturday, November 15, from 1–2:30 p.m. for a presentation with Diana Klein, Education Program Manager for Josiah Henson Museum and Park as she discusses the life of Reverend Josiah Henson. Reverend Henson was enslaved in Montgomery County for about 25 years before he self-emancipated with his family to Canada and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, eventually freeing 118 people. He wrote his life story, which inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, a bestselling book in the 19th century.

In his lifetime, Henson was a well-known abolitionist who met with Queen Victoria, President Hayes, Frederick Douglass and other movers-and-shakers of the era. So why has his story slipped into obscurity? In this presentation, Diana Klein will delve into Henson, his life, and the social forces that shape how we view history today.

Following Ms. Klein’s presentation, Dr. Julie Rose, Director of Marietta House Museum, will present a short talk about researching the history of the Marietta enslaved families, and the self-emancipation of the Duckett and Brown families. These talks are in partnership with the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Prince George’s County.

$5/person. However, it is free for members of AAHGS. A hybrid program. Ages 12 & up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Online attendees must register to receive a TEAMS link. Walk-ins are welcome. Registration ticket code: MHM-SPEC-GA-20251115

For more information, please call 301-464-5291 or email mariettahouse@pgparks.com

Marietta House Museum is located at 5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale, MD and is a property of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

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Hoyer Supports Attorney General Brown and Prince George’s County’s Suit Against Trump Administration to Stop Unlawful Diversion of FBI Headquarters Project From Maryland

By PRESS OFFICER
Congressman Steny Hoyer’s Office

WASHINGTON (Nov. 6, 2025)—Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) expressed support for Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Prince George’s County’s lawsuit to stop the Trump administration's unlawful attempt to sabotage the new FBI headquarters project in Greenbelt, Maryland, and redirect over $1 billion in congressionally appropriated funding to a different location. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s July 2025 decision to abandon the lawfully selected Greenbelt site in favor of the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.—a location that violates specific instructions that Congress established by law.

“Instead of working with Team Maryland to proceed with the FBI’s new headquarters in Greenbelt, President Trump and FBI Director Patel are trying to redirect funding Congress appropriated for the project and crowd the agency into the 30-year-old Ronald Reagan building in D.C. In doing so they are openly defying Congress, the law, and the Constitution. Crucially, the Trump Administration is undermining the FBI and its vital law enforcement and national security mission by continuing to deprive it of a secure, consolidated facility. I commend Attorney General Brown for his leadership in holding the Trump Administration accountable for trying to ditch this project to the detriment of the American people,” said Congressman Steny Hoyer.

“Maryland earned the new FBI headquarters through a fair and transparent selection process that took more than 10 year—a rigorous evaluation that identified Greenbelt as the site best suited to meet the FBI's security, operational space, and mission needs,” said Attorney General Brown. “Now, the Trump administration wants to undermine that process, ignore the law, and divert more than $1 billion meant for a purpose-built headquarters—redirecting it instead to a nearly 30-year-old building unfit to accommodate the Bureau. We will not let the Trump administration strip away what Prince George’s County won and deny its communities the transformative benefits this project would bring.”

“The problem with the current FBI building is that it’s too old, too small, and too exposed. So what does the President do? He moves the FBI to another building that is too old, too small, and too exposed,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Trump’s actions aren’t just illegal, they lack common sense. And his foolishness will put law enforcement in jeopardy. Greenbelt has been, and still is, the best home for the FBI.”

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, as a party to the lawsuit said, “Attorney General Anthony Brown and my County Attorney Anthony Jones laid out the facts of this case clearly. The history in this region demonstrates that landing a federal agency like the FBI has been a catalyst for major economic development. It
 
was true when the National Institutes of Health located in Bethesda, and true when the Pentagon went to Northern Virginia, catalyzing growth in Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax Counties. We want the same opportunity in Prince George’s County and in Maryland and we earned it. I want to thank Governor Wes Moore and the entire Maryland Delegation which has been unified around this issue. With limited resources, we can’t fight every battle, but this is a battle worth fighting for.”

Congress explicitly directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to choose from only three suburban locations: Greenbelt, Maryland; Landover, Maryland; or Springfield, Virginia. After years of bipartisan effort, the GSA selected Greenbelt as the site for the new FBI headquarters in September 2023, following a rigorous evaluation process mandated by Congress. Congress appropriated more than $1.1 billion specifically for this project through multiple laws between 2016 and 2024.

“The FBI headquarters should be housed in a facility that meets the highest level of security for the men and women of our top law enforcement agency—full stop. The location in Greenbelt, Maryland meets those requirements, as determined by a lengthy, fair, and transparent process that Republicans have arbitrarily overturned. Team Maryland will fight tooth and nail to ensure this Administration follows the law, so the brave men and women who work at the FBI will be able to do their work without political interference and without compromising their safety and by extension, our national security,” said Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

“I applaud Attorney General Anthony Brown and Prince George’s County for stepping up. The Trump administration has steamrolled the law and overturned a bipartisan, twelve-year process to bring the new FBI Headquarters to Greenbelt. I stand squarely behind these legal challenges and look forward to welcoming the FBI home to Prince George’s County,” said Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-04).

Maryland and Prince George’s County made extraordinary commitments to secure the FBI headquarters, including over $300 million for transportation infrastructure, parking facilities, and other improvements, based on the promise of high-paying jobs and the economic development the project was expected to bring.

However, in July 2025, the FBI and GSA abruptly announced they had selected the Ronald Reagan Building, a nearly 30-year-old facility in Washington, D.C., that was never among the three congressionally selected sites. In the lawsuit filed today, Maryland and Prince George’s County allege that the Trump administration provided no explanation for discarding the careful selection process—which identified Greenbelt as the best option for transit accessibility, cost-effectiveness,
 
and positive community impact—conducted no consultations with Maryland as required by federal law, and violated explicit Congressional directives limiting the site selection to the three specified suburban locations. Maryland and Prince George’s County also challenge the administration’s plans to redirect the funds Congress designated for the Greenbelt project.

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, this decision not only breaks with federal law and Congressional intent but also harms Maryland by denying the state and county significant economic benefits, jobs, and development opportunities.

With this lawsuit, Attorney General Brown and Prince George’s County seek to:

• Stop the unlawful selection of the Ronald Reagan Building as the FBI headquarters site;

• Prevent the diversion of more than $1 billion in congressionally appropriated funds from the Greenbelt project;

• Ensure the federal government follows the law and honors Congress’s explicit directives; and

• Protect Maryland’s investment and the economic opportunities promised to Prince George’s County communities.

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On Maryland Report Card, More PGCPS Schools Rise in Ratings; Majority Earn Three Stars or Higher
Nearly 20% of schools gain at least one star as progress in academics and school climate improve districtwide.

By PRESS OFFICER
PGCPS

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (Nov. 4, 2025)—The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has released the 2024–2025 Maryland School Report Cards, and the results show continued upward momentum for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). More than three in four schools (over 75 percent) earned ratings of three, four, or five stars, and more schools improved than declined compared to last year.

The Maryland School Report Card measures multiple academic and school climate indicators to provide families and educators with a comprehensive look at school performance and growth.

This year, 34 PGCPS schools gained at least one star and more than half of all schools (124) improved their total points earned, signaling strong progress across elementary, middle, high, combination, and charter schools.

Academic and Climate Gains

The 2025 Maryland Report Card reinforces broad academic growth across the district—progress also reflected in this year’s Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) results, where students recorded broad academic gains across grade levels and student groups.

• Math proficiency rose 3.9 percentage points, nearly double the statewide increase of 2.0 points.

• English Language Arts (ELA) scores improved by 2.8 points, closely matching the statewide average.

• More than 30,000 students are within reach of proficiency, including nearly 10,000 within five points of meeting state standards.

• Multilingual learners and students with disabilities achieved consistent gains across both math and ELA, and Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools are closing gaps faster than comparable schools statewide.

Middle and high schools also recorded notable reductions in chronic absenteeism, while survey data show that students and staff feel more positive about school climate and engagement districtwide.

PGCPS Maryland School Report Card Ratings

Five-star: 6 schools (2 elementary, 1 high, 3 combination)
 
Four-star: 26 schools (16 elementary, 1 high, 9 combination)

Three-star: 111 schools (75 elementary, 13 middle, 14 high, 9 combination)

Two-star: 45 schools (23 elementary, 12 middle, 8 high, 2 combination)

One-star: 0 schools

Combination schools include those with elementary, middle, and/or high school grade configurations.

This year, the district’s number of five-star schools increased from four to six, reflecting growth at both the elementary and secondary levels. Five-star schools include Glenarden Woods Elementary, Heather Hills Elementary, Robert Goddard Montessori, Judith P. Hoyer Montessori, Dora Kennedy French Immersion, and the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College.

How the Ratings Work

School star ratings are based on multiple indicators, including non-academic measures.

Elementary and middle school indicators: Academic Achievement, Academic Progress, Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency, and School Quality and Student Success.

High school indicators: Academic Achievement, Graduation Rate, Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency, Readiness for Postsecondary Success, and School Quality and Student Success.

Schools earn between one and five stars based on the percentage of points earned across these indicators.

Results can be viewed on The Maryland Report Card website: https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov

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