Despite the request of the church to delay the sketch plan review until a cemetery delineation can be carried out, the Planning Board is going forward anyway. A youth leader at Macedonia Baptist said it was "disrespectful" to put parking over their buried ancestors.
Several community leaders, as well as nearby residents, stood and marched in solidarity with church members yesterday. "What a blessing it is to be in this righteous fight with all of you," said Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd of the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church. While Town of Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin spoke, telling the crowd to "stay woke," the Montgomery County Council was nowhere to be found. Ed Amatetti, a Republican running for the Council in District 2 in 2018, was there, however.
Among the chants and musical selections employed during the march was a particularly appropriate one, "We Shall Not Be Moved." Considering that a developer can try to relocate graves under Maryland law, the title's defiance has a double meaning.
With a robust Montgomery County Police presence, marchers started off into the right westbound lane of River Road in front of the church, chanting anti-Equity One slogans. Officers did a great job of directing traffic and protesters, keeping everyone safe. At the Capital Crescent Trail bridge over River Road, officers shut down the whole state highway for several minutes to allow marchers to cross and reach what was once known as "Outlet Road." This was the route funeral processions would take from the church to the cemetery in decades past, and currently sits below the retaining wall at the rear of the McDonald's parking lot.
Once at the cemetery site, one of the two academics the church wants to represent them when Equity One's hired firm eventually begins a cemetery search, spoke. Dr. Rachel Watkins said the cemetery must be delineated "before any ground is further disturbed or touched." She also advocated having the community "embedded with the discovery process" of any delineation, as much as the developer would be.
Harvey Matthews, who lived in the black community on the site of today's Whole Foods Market, said he always took great pride in telling people he was "born in Bethesda," and "the first black kid to live in Kenwood." He had childhood friends who lived in Kenwood, which was separated from Matthews' property by the Willett Branch stream. Two sycamore trees that were planted out front when he was nine are still standing between the sidewalk and the Whole Foods parking lot.
Whole Foods sent word through the police that they would arrest any of us who entered their property during the protest. Nice.
Matthews recalled playing hide-and-seek and sledding in the cemetery, and doesn't understand why there is any skepticism by the County regarding its existence. "I don't know what game the County's playing," he said, "or how they're playing it." He said he would like there to be some physical memorial that his he, his children, and his grandchildren can visit to pay their respects.
"These Africans in the ground were somebody," said a representative of the Black is Back Coalition, a group organizing for peace, social justice and reparations. "Their presence and blood runs through all of us."
The weather cooperated greatly, with an occasional sprinkle near the end of the march. In a hopeful sign, the sun emerged as Rev. McDonald-Ladd gave a benediction at the close of the march.
Just before the end of the march, protesters paused at the site of Matthews' former home to pay their respects to his family. "I don't care what they say, Whole Foods, about arresting people," he declared. "I was here first."
* * *
Commissioners are currently scheduled to take up the plan at their February 23 meeting. The Planning Department issued a statement in response to news of the plannned protest last week, in which it claimed that approval of the sketch plan would not close any aspect of delineating the cemetery. However, that legal question is not as clear-cut as the news release suggested, in regards to what authority and advantages the developer would hold with an approved sketch plan.I was, frankly, astonished at the department's insistence that the sketch plan review would go forward. Given the department's never-FBI-investigated role in the Farm Road scandal, in which black landowners were cheated out of their property rights after the road that accessed their properties was "accidentally" deleted by the Planning Board - to the benefit of a development firm, the optics of the Board now thumbing their nose at a black church over desecration of a black cemetery are pretty horrendous. Good Lord.
But after attending yesterday's protest, I am now confident that the sketch plan review is going to be postponed. That's because leaders of the protest made clear that if the Planning Board goes ahead with the sketch plan review at its February 23 Planning Board meeting, they will "shut it down" through civil disobedience if needed. The scene of an African-American congregation shutting down a meeting, in which extremely-ambitious politicians like Casey Anderson and Natali Fani-Gonzalez would be siding with a multi-billion-dollar corporation over black constituents, would be a public relations disaster for the Montgomery County political cartel. They're not going to give us that photo op, folks.
To keep the pressure on, though, two more protests have been scheduled prior to the meeting:
1. Thursday, February 16, 2017 from 2:00-4:00 PM outside the Planning Headquarters at 8787 Georgia Avenue
2. Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 1:30 PM outside the Macedonia Baptist Church at 5119 River Road
How could this desecration, like the River Road black community itself, remain "secret" for so many decades? For some reason, Montgomery County never paid any attention, nor pursued the people responsible for this crime against humanity. As syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. said in his Washington Post book review of The Blood of Emmett Till yesterday, "when African-American lives are destroyed by white people, America has historically been reluctant to bring the perpetrators to account." Should it be surprising that this lack of consideration extends to the African-American dead, as well?
Protesters gather in front of the Macedonia Baptist Church |
Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd of the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation was among several representatives of local organizations in attendance |
A former pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church has said developers have relentlessly tried to drive the church off its land |
Call and response with an Equity One theme |
The Kenwood, seen in the background, was constructed on land that held some of the final homes of the original black community |
Church trustee Harvey Matthews (L) gets protesters ready to march onto River Road as police begin to close lanes |
The 850' telecommunications tower was the site of the River Road Colored School, which Matthews attended |
There were some emotional moments at the site of the cemetery |
Equity One security guards were called in |
Making the climb to Westbard Avenue |
Now on Westbard |
Site of Matthews' former home, taken by developers; it is now a Whole Foods |
Matthews recalls his years living on this property, standing next to the sycamore trees (center) his family planted when he was 9 |
Matthews is interviewed after the march by Jasmine Norwood of DCW50 News |
I noticed a lot of "Black Lives Matter" signs in your photos. I wasn't aware the BLM movement had desecration of cemeteries as one of their key issues.
ReplyDeleteOr were those people protesting a BLM issue instead, like police brutality?
6:14: I think it was related to the fact that these black lives - even in death - didn't seem to matter to the builders in the late 60s, nor to the Planning Board today.
ReplyDeleteThe press release issued by the organizers of the rally made the point that Black Lives Matter, and that they should not be diminished after death by erasing evidence of a cemetery.
DeleteObviously, that's my assumption, but I won't presume to speak for each person who was carrying that sign.
ReplyDeleteThe Planning Board is pretty incompetent and in bed with developers for sure, but I don't think they are specifically targeting black lives. They would steamroll over a white cemetery if it were there also.
ReplyDeleteThe Planning Board and the Planning Department have at best been tone deaf and insensitive on the matter of the cemetery (perhaps cemeteries-- evidence exists of a possible second graveyard) at Westbard. They might not be specifically targeting the black community, but their actions are compounding the original injury suffered by the African-American community when the cemetery was paved over.
DeleteThe Planning Board, the Planning Department and the County Council set numerous conditions in the sector plan for the developer to meet in redeveloping Westbard (a civic green, the realignment of Westbard Avenue, the provision of 15% affordable housing, the installation of historic signage, and others.) Why were no conditions set concerning the investigation and delineation of any graveyards as prerequisites for local approvals?
That the Planning Department and Planning Board have not agreed to delay approval of the Westbard sketch plan pending completion of the cemetery investigation shows a colossal lack of respect.
Did you ever file a complaint with the FBI over Farm Road? Did anyone? Why would the FBI investigate if there has been no complaint?
ReplyDelete7:05: I would tend to agree, but the history of the Planning Board and planning department with the African-American landowners in the Farm Road scandal reinforces a pattern here of taking advantage of black landowners who don't have the financial resources to fight these things in court. Farm Road is tailor-made for an FBI investigation. You start turning over every rock, and you never know what sorts of shenanigans you might find.
ReplyDeleteWhile the topic of race is sort of on the front burner here, count me as fascinated that the feds relentlessly hound black politicians in Prince George's and the District, but never look into white elected official corruption here in Montgomery County Government. #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmm
"extremely-ambitious politicians like Casey Anderson and Natali Fani-Gonzalez"
ReplyDeletePlanning Board commissioners are not "politicians"
7:19: Wrong. Anderson is very politically involved, and Fani-Gonzalez actually ran for office.
ReplyDeleteWhy the gratuitous mention of Natali Fani-Gonzalez? Is Dyer trying to stir up trouble between African-Americans and Latinos?
ReplyDelete7:22: I mentioned the two commissioners who clearly have major political aspirations. Norm Dreyfuss isn't on the Board to further his political career with developer chits to call in down the road.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete7:05 Agreed 100%!!! Developers and the MOCO Council are One.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this march seems to be occurring about 50 years too late! That graveyard was paved over so long ago that it seems like it would be next to impossible to find any caskets or bones now. The new owner of the property seems to be being penalized for the actions of people who desecrated the site long ago and are now likely dead.
Also, the Whole Foods was previously River Bowl Lanes, a place thousands of people (black & white and probably several of those marching) enjoyed for many years in the 70's & 80's. If these "Black lives matter" folks are disrupting business at Whole Foods on a weekend that is wrong.. Just go home.
The Montgomery County Planning Department (led by Gwen Wright) and Planning Board (led by Casey Anderson) have thus far ignored the the pleas of the Macedonia Baptist Church and the local African-American community to complete cemetery studies before approving the layout of the Westbard site. What insensitivity and arrogance.
ReplyDeleteThe same disregard for public opinion was demonstrated when the Planning Board and Planning Department ignored the citizens and civic organizations who opposed the heights and densities proposed for Westbard.
The County Council endorsed this insensitivity, arrogance and disregard for the public when it approved the Westbard sector plan.
I am very disappointed in Montgomery County's elected leadership and planning staff for their decisions on Westbard. Before this, I viewed County government favorably.
@7:05 No one disrupted Whole Foods' business. You should review the videos of the extremely peaceful protest before throwing down judgment. In contrast, Whole Foods abandoned any pretense of a neighborly attitude, and informed the organizers/protesters that they would be arrested if they set foot on their property.
ReplyDelete"Wrong" doesn't know a political party. This protest was supported by a wide-range of people who think the County's chance to rectify the wrong is here and now. It's never too late to right a wrong.
Previous comment was to 8:16 NOT to 7:05; sorry
ReplyDeleteInteresting how Dyer is using dead African-Americans (cemetery desecrated 50 years ago) to keep live African-Americans out of his neighborhood (blocking affordable housing).
ReplyDelete9:22: There already are African Americans living there, but obviously you aren't familiar with the area.
DeleteLogic says to delay the development and figure out what we're dealing with before building on top of grave sites.
ReplyDeleteHow did the original developer of the Westwood Tower come to acquire this land? Who owned it immediately prior to them? Was there any documentation of the cemetery in official land records?
ReplyDelete9:46: Yes, land records show the cemetery.
DeleteThe cemetery has announced that it is moving to Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
ReplyDeleteTake that, MoCo Machine!
The optics are terrible for the Planning Board...And to do this during Black History Month.
ReplyDelete8:47
ReplyDeleteI said if BLM created a disruption in the Whole Foods business it was wrong. The general manager should be yelling at the top of his lungs "get outta my parking lot and off the grass or else". Whole Foods was founded in Austin Texas in 1980 (graveyard paved over late 60's) and owes nothing to anyone other than their customers desperate for a parking spot.
Where exactly do they believe the cemetery stood?
ReplyDelete5:54: Under what is now Westwood Tower, and the parking lot to the side and behind it. Also within the hill that runs down the driveway of the parking lot.
DeleteUnderneath a sea of pavement behind the Westwood tower apartment building. Basically, sinking alot of somebodys money into a project which will clearly end in futility (very similar to the Westbard protests). However, protesting seems to be the new normal (cause the left rejects democracy) so I say Go For It and good luck with that !
ReplyDelete"protesting seems to be the new normal (cause the left rejects democracy)"
DeleteNot counting the host and his faithful reader, that's the dumbest comment I've read here in a long time.
Protest is a cornerstone of First Amendment freedoms. The right to protest is intrinsic to democracy.
ReplyDeleteFirst Amendment:
ReplyDelete"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
I am still unclear on why the protest stopped at the Whole Foods. The property is not owned by Equity One and is not near the old cemetery. Protesters are certainly allowed to gather on the public sidewalk along River Road, but to passersby and probably to the manager, it would seem to imply that that property and Whole Foods are the offending people, which they are not. Not exactly a fair action by the protesters. Also the property was not "TAKEN" by developers. It was PURCHASED by the bowling alley owners and later sold again and converted to a shopping center.
ReplyDelete5:12 & 10:36
ReplyDeleteNEWSFLASH
Donald J. Trump is now President of this great land all these different Soros funded paid protester hate groups like Urban League, BLM, will be destroyed in short order by Attorney Jeff Sessions and the new DOJ. Bring on the National Guard, heads will roll soon..Watch!