SURJ, Macedonia Baptist Church, descendants of those buried in the cemetery, and their supporters in the community are asking the HOC to allow the church to conduct a valid archaeological study of the burial site, and to publicly acknowledge that the sacred nature of it outweighs their development plans.
Participants in the silent protest should bring signs to hold. Suggested messages include:
DON'T PARK ON ME, HOC (my personal favorite)
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN LIFE AND IN DEATH
BLACK ANCESTORS MATTER
BLACK BURIAL PLACES MATTER
NO PARKING GARAGE OVER CEMETERY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING--YES! CEMETERY DESECRATION--NO!
Be forewarned that parking is very limited, as all of the parking lots are hogged by HOC, despite all we the taxpayers contribute to the HOC. There are some street parking spaces, and the surrounding residential neighborhood has permit parking restrictions. For that reason, carpool if you can.
"Confederate Ancestors Matter", saith Robert Dyer.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous thinks his life matters and if he had a statue, it would be for trying to attack Roberts beliefs. Unfortunately he offended me even though he thought he was doing the right thing, so I need his grave removed.
Delete6:57 - PCP is one hell of a drug.
ReplyDelete"Be forewarned that parking is very limited, as all of the parking lots are hogged by HOC"
ReplyDeleteHOC hogging parking at its own headquarters? Quel scandale.
"despite all we the taxpayers contribute to the HOC"
How much do you contribute, Robert?
Why is it that some people seem to be okay with the concept of supply & demand, and paying more for scarce resources, for everything under the sun EXCEPT parking?
DeleteI'll see if I can attend. My signs will say:
ReplyDelete"Respect property rights of legal owners"
and
"Move cemetery remains to parking lot of church"
As a community and county, I trust we can come together and agree that building a parking garage over the final resting place of freed slaves is not the best choice. History will judge us badly if we let that happen.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone on the Council or Planning Board would show courage, break ranks and stand with the community against this desecration.
"Colma, California became the site for numerous cemeteries after San Francisco, in 1900 outlawed new interments within city limits, then in 1912 evicted all existing cemeteries (though the actual process of removal was delayed until after World War II)."
ReplyDelete"The San Francisco de Asís [AKA Mission Dolores] cemetery, which adjoins the property on the south side, was originally much larger than its present boundaries, running west almost to Church Street and north into what is today 16th Street. It was reduced in various stages, starting with the extension of 16th Street through the former mission grounds in 1889, and later by the construction of the Mission Dolores Basilica Center and the Chancery Building of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in the 1950s. Some remains were reburied on-site in a mass grave, while others were relocated to various Bay Area cemeteries. Today, most of the former cemetery grounds are covered by a paved playground behind the Mission Dolores School."
ReplyDelete@Roald From what I can see, the current landowner purchased the property legitimately from the previous landowner. If the cemetery owner didn't want a parking garage built, they shouldn't have sold the land.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few other instances in montgomery county and PG county also of cemetaries under development. Will these same supporters be showing up for others as well?
ReplyDeleteNobody? Isn't that the definition of NIMBY then? Lol
Deleteisn't the cemetery currently under a parking lot?
ReplyDeleteRobert how many cars can go on top of a supposed cemetery before the parking lot is, as you called it, no longer sacred?
Thanks.
Does a parking lot not count as desecration? Or just a building?
Delete