Montgomery County has recently commissioned a new project to begin making changes throughout the county, creating the commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation. MoCo has organized a variety of events and activities to promote a better understanding of county history throughout November as part of Remembrance and Reconciliation Month. These events encourage people to come to terms with the county’s past and learn about important historical figures.
The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation has shed light on the county’s history with slavery and racism. On Nov. 1, the Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery opened its doors for tours for people all across the county by adding an option to explore the museum virtually. According to Natalie Thomas, a historian and genealogist at the Sandy Spring Museum, “the community of Sandy Spring was founded in 1728 by Quakers.” Thomas says they grew “tobacco and corn” and were dependent on slaves to take care of their crops. Half a century later, anti-slavery sentiment became more popular among Quakers, and slaves were granted freedom in 1790. The Sandy Spring Museum was built by Dr. Winston Anderson where newly-freed African Americans had once settled to highlight the area’s diverse history. This region of Sandy Spring was the first free-black settlement in the county. In addition to honoring the challenges African Americans faced, the Museum also highlights a large variety of African American and African art to exhibit their accomplishments and unique cultures.
The manager of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art, Debbie Buchman, also gave her opinion on the commission and was strongly in favor of MoCo taking steps to raise awareness regarding Sandy Spring’s history. She was proud to represent the Sandy Spring area; through the MoCo Commission, she was able to promote the Sandy Spring Slave Museum’s goal to bridge the learning gap and fix other discrepancies between races.
“Many important holidays like Juneteenth are celebrated at the museum,” Buchman said. “The MoCo Commission has helped spread awareness about the teaching courses offered at Sandy Spring, where not only young audiences but also educators can learn about diverse cultures and backgrounds to help diversify how we think.”
In addition to events such as the one at the Sandy Spring Slave Museum, residents in the Poolesville area hosted conversation circles organized by the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project (MoCoLMP). The MoCoLMP also hosted events like the Broadcast of the Remembrance Conference and Soil Ceremony for John Diggs-Dorsey and Sydney Randolph, who were lynching victims in the county. At George Peck’s Soil Ceremony (also hosted by the MoCoLMP), Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Reimer announced that historians had officially recorded the lynchings of Diggs-Dorsey, Randolph, and Peck as the three (known) lynchings occurring in Montgomery County. The Broadcast of the Remembrance Conference and Soil Ceremony for Diggs-Dorsey and Randolph was also accompanied by a broadcast of “Unwritten Law,” an informative conference on these historic lynchings.
Montgomery County’s efforts to promote an interest in our county’s past have proven interesting to many and have shed a light not only on the accomplishments of African Americans in our area but also on MoCo’s history with slavery and lynchings. Other events hosted by the commission included an event at the Button Farm in Germantown, which provided a unique opportunity for visitors to interact with land previously used by plantation owners to “recreate sensory experiences of the past.” Private foundations have also hosted similar events with encouragement from the county. The county’s determination to remember the past is an important part of embracing the area’s cultural diversity and promoting an interest in learning about the county’s rich history.
Written by Malena Martin of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Montgomery County Public Schools