Community Events for Remembrance and Reconciliation Month in Montgomery County

Per Montgomery County:

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Montgomery County Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission is calling for this November to be a month of Remembrance and Reconciliation in the County. Engaging in this time of reflection will help County residents grow their understanding of the full history of Montgomery County and how we can move forward from it.

The Commission was established in 2019 to help bring the County together to promote a better understanding of our history. This includes recognition of three men who were the victims of racial terror lynchings in Montgomery County in the late 1800s: Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey, Mr. Sidney Randolph, and Mr. George Peck.

Throughout the month of November, the Commission will partner with organizations like the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project to host events for the community. Scheduled events will include a public arts demonstration, a museum exhibit, a high school student essay contest, keynote speaker and documentary film screening. If you have events you’d like us to add to this list, please submit using this form!

• November 5-6: Certain Party or Parties Unknown Projection Art Installations, press release and video preview
• November 7: Airing of the Remembrance Conference and Soil Ceremony (event details coming soon)
• November 15-19: MCPS Students Participate in Student Art Week (event details coming soon)
• November 19: Virtual Presentation from Congressman Raskin on  HR40 (event details coming soon)
• November 22, 9 pm: Airing of Finding Fellowship on Maryland Public Television
• Date TBD: Screening of Three Known Lynchings (event details coming soon)

REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND | SEPTEMBER 25-26, 2021

Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey was dragged from the county jail and lynched in 1880. Mr. Sidney Randolph, a native of Georgia in his mid-twenties, was lynched in 1896. We believe that by reckoning with the truth of the racial violence that has shaped our communities, we can advance healing and reconciliation. The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project (MoCoLMP) and the Montgomery County Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation (MCCRR) will organize events to advance this cause.

On Saturday, there will be a mini-conference co-sponsored by Montgomery History, where three Montgomery County historians will provide the account of the lynchings of Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Sidney Randolph, put those acts in the economic, social, and political context of Montgomery County at that time, and explore the ways in which elements of these murders were replicated in other parts of Maryland and the United States. Get more information about this event and watch the event recording.

On Sunday, a pilgrimage walk will begin at the site of the old county jail (now the County Council Building) where both men were held, traverse portions of the routes taken by the lynch mobs and conclude at Welsh Park for the Soil Collection Ceremony. The ceremony will recognize the traumatic era of lynching, including the collection of soil from near the lynching sites, music, reflections from community leaders and readings by the winners of a racial justice essay contest for high school students. It will conclude with a reception for community fellowship. Get more information about the walk route.

PROPERTY AND ITS DISCONTENTS: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF RACISM IN HOMEOWNERSHIP | JUNE 24, 2021

Under the auspices of the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, the Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation presents a virtual discussion on the impact of lynching and its residual effects, such as racism and implicit bias, that impede access to property ownership.  Redlining imposed by the federal government and prolonged due to systemic racism have deprived black communities of wealth creation.

Resolution 19-24 adopted on January 29, 2019 by the Montgomery County Council established the Commission for the purpose of reviewing the County’s past and sensitizing our communities to issues of social justice and equity going forward. See legislation here.

The Commission is providing a platform for stakeholders to review the County’s past in order to move toward greater equity and social justice. Join these experts as they navigate the issues from the perspectives of realtors, mortgage financiers, and legislators searching to enhance access to homeownership and serve the public good.

See the event flyer.

Watch the event recording

Check out additional resources:

• Redlining Explained
• Appraisals: How Redlining Affects You Now
• Black Developers in Montgomery County
• Lynching in Montgomery County
• The Tulsa Massacre – Redlining, Wealth Gap, Beyond Homeownership, Reparations
• A Battle Over Housing Is Brewing in the 2022 Montgomery County Executive Race
• House Democrats Urge Biden to Extend Eviction Ban
• Inside the Memorial to Victims of Lynching