Maryland .wtf
Screenshot courtesy of the official Instagram account of The Howard University Tennis program. The image is available on the team’s October 13, 2026 Instagram post.
The Howard University Tennis Club Executive Board also released a statement regarding the incident.
Original design by Benjamin Janewicz to accompany an article titled The Confederate Roots of the Maryland Flag.
Reddit /maryland Moderators: Censoring images unflattering to the state?
October 21, 2026
On the morning of October 20, a moderator on the Maryland forum of Reddit.com removed a post linking an article in which users could see the now-infamous altered version of the Maryland flag.
An announcement left by the moderator stated, “Your submission has been removed because it is a duplicate of a recently submitted post.”
Actually, no, it was not.
A content check around 10:45 a.m. on October 20, 2026 suggested the linked article had never been shared on the Maryland forum, also known as the Maryland subreddit. Of the three articles on the topic posted to the Maryland subreddit, not one showed the offensive flag.
Reddit member u/bouillon had posted an MSN link to an article first published by Baller Alert.
Neither the Baller Alert article nor the MSN reprint had previously appeared on r/maryland.
The post by u/bouillon was active for approximately two hours before the moderator removed it soon after 10:00 a.m. The comments section indicated user interest.
The altered Maryland flag featured Ku Klux Klan (KKK) imagery. In the document received by the Howard University team, the altered flag was featured just below the University of Maryland Club Tennis logo.
Currently, the Maryland Reddit.com forum hosts the following links to articles on the topic:
1. On October 13, a verified account for The Independent, u/theindependentonline, shared a link to the outlet’s article on the topic. The altered flag was not shown in the article.
2. The day prior, October 12, 2026, Banner writer Ellie Wolfe, u/ewolfe201, shared her Banner article titled University of Maryland club tennis team suspended after racist graphic sent to other schools.
The Banner requires users login to The Banner app or website to view articles. Users need a subscription to access most articles.
3. On October 15, 2026, Journalist Ellie Wolfe, u/ewolfe201, shared her Banner article titled “UMD students storm president’s speech to protest racist image shared by club tennis team.”
None of the articles listed show the image in question.
Regarding the October 12th Banner article, one user, u/runnersblock, commented about the image, “Well it’s in the article but blurred out. Its described as two hooded figures.”
The blurred flag appears to have been removed from the article as of October 20, 2026.
The flag was key to the story, leading some users to obtain the image from elsewhere and post it in the comments section.
On October 13, 2026, The Howard University club tennis team, the recipient of the image, posted the graphic to their Instagram account with the statement, “Racist imagery unveiled. While news outlets continue to blur this image, we believe it is important for people to see what is being condemned. Our community deserves transparency.”
Photographer and graphic artist Benjamin Janewicz created the image in 2017 to accompany his Medium article titled The Confederate Roots of the Maryland Flag.
Mr. Janewicz commented to the tennis club’s Instagram post, “For anyone to use it for actual racist purposes both makes me sick, but also highlights how Maryland never fully reckoning with its racist past is still a problem.”
The link removed by a moderator on October 20 led to an article showing a slightly cut-off image of the altered Maryland flag. Further along in the article readers can view the graphic as posted to Instagram by the Howard University Tennis Team.
Baller alert published the article on October 13, 2026. The author is listed as “Grace L.”
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University of Maryland officials called police on student journalists
October 22, 2026
Student reporters from Testudo Times sought to cover the school's firing of football head coach Mike Locksley.
More information is available in the articles linked below.
Fox News/Outkick: "Police called on two Maryland student reporters covering Mike Locksley's firing outside football complex; Two student journalists were questioned and ID'd outside the football complex while seeking player reactions;" By Trey Wallace, October 2, 2026 9:26pm EDT
USA Today: "Student reporters went looking for answers at Maryland. They got police instead;" by John Leuzzi,Updated Oct. 22, 2026, 7:56 a.m. ET