"Your building sits on
top of my ancestors"
Representatives of Macedonia Baptist Church and their supporters in the community got another rude reception at yesterday's meeting of the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission. There to protest the HOC's plan to construct a parking garage on top of a historic African-American cemetery behind Westwood Tower in Bethesda, they found that HOC continues to aggressively defend its plans to build atop the cemetery, and avoid the mediation sessions with the church arranged for by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. The continued impasse - and the growing realization that HOC is a primary actor in the conspiracy to cover-up the cemetery's existence - inspired yesterday's protest, which was organized by Showing Up for Racial Justice - Montgomery County.
"Those bodies matter
more than a
parking garage"
Laurel Hoa, an organizer with SURJ, testified during the community comment portion of the meeting, and requested the cemetery issue be added to the meeting agenda. Noting there are human remains of the first generation of free African-Americans in Maryland under the existing parking lot, she added, "I would like the commission to vote to confirm that those bodies matter more than a parking garage. This matter has been dragging on for months, and HOC has been sticking to its plans to build a parking garage on top of these bodies, and the community is saying, 'No, this is a desecration of this cemetery.'"
"Do I have to ask
you to leave?"
"Just so people understand," HOC Chair Jackie Simon announced, "we don't add items to our agenda that have not been discussed by our commissioners and staff." "This has been going on for months," Hoa interjected. "Excuse me," Simon interrupted. "Because we're in litigation, we certainly are not prepared to offer any thoughts." In reality, Macedonia Baptist Church is not a party in the litigation Simon referred to.
"You gotta leave"
Macedonia Baptist Church social justice director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo spoke next. "Your building sits on top of my ancestors," she said, "and I, as well as other people here, do not want to see a parking garage situated in that area." She then pointed out that HOC Executive Director Stacy Spann has dragged out the mediation process by repeatedly claiming he is unavailable for the next session.Coleman-Adebayo said the church has informed Spann in writing that it will make any accommodation for his schedule, including holding sessions on weekends or holidays, if necessary, in an attempt to bring a rapid closure to the cemetery dispute. Spann has refused to respond to the church's offer, she said. "In fact, he's ducking from us, and he's hiding behind..." "Let's not have characterizations," Simon interrupted. "Whatever you want to call it, he is not available," Coleman-Adebayo replied, "I call it ducking and hiding."
"I call it ducking
and hiding"
"I'm sorry, but we'll have no discussion of this issue as long as litigation is pending," Simon said. She could not explain why Spann is avoiding mediation sessions with the church, nor why HOC is falsely claiming the church has something to do with a completely-separate lawsuit. When Coleman-Adebayo persisted on those two points, Simon banged her gavel. "Do I have to ask you to leave?" Simon asked. "You can do that if you like," Coleman-Adebayo replied. "I've asked you to either leave, or at least leave the microphone," Simon commanded.
A classic government
official cop-out
Macedonia trustee Harvey Matthews then attempted to speak, but was rebuffed by the commission. "Let him speak! Let him speak!" cemetery protesters chanted in response. Simon said she had offered Matthews the opportunity to submit comments in writing rather than allow him to address the commission - a classic government official cop-out, because direct written communications do not sway public opinion or embarrass public officials. "We do not intend to have a prolonged discussion on this while we are in mediation." Director Stacy Spann offered Matthews the options of contacting him in writing via email or snail mail.
"We're moving on"
As Matthews stepped away from the speakers' table, Kevin Berends took his place, attempting to ask the commission to vote on allowing Macedonia Baptist Church to conduct an archaeological study of the cemetery. He was interrupted by Spann."We're moving on. We're moving on, sir," Spann said. "The chair has been very clear. We've heard the last item on this." "All I'd like to say is," Berends replied, "how about granting permission to Macedonia to investigate the cemetery delineation, because HOC, and HOC alone, has the control over whether that can be granted. So, all we're asking is, would you please vote on that as to whether or not..."
"You'll have to go
outside"
"We are not voting on that," Simon asserted. "I've been as clear as I can be." "It would be a lot clearer if you said, 'yes,"" Berends answered to laughter from the audience. "Thank you, thank you," Spann interjected. "We're moving on.""Let him speak!" protesters chanted from the audience. "You gotta leave if you're going to make noise," Spann warned. "This is a public meeting. You'll have to go outside''
"You can't disrupt our meeting," Simon echoed.
"You don't
represent us"
"You said you wanted to have community comments," Coleman-Adebayo said, "and when the community went to the microphone, you told us we couldn't speak. You don't represent us. You do not represent us."
20 comments:
Building parking garages on top of historic African American cemeteries and charging $70 to attend a public county executive debate.
This is MoCo in 2017. We're better than this.
What's on the site now?
If they did it on a Tuesday, they would have a better reception.
5:16am in both cases, cold hard money and profit was put above people.
Money wins every time...nothing is sacred it seems.
That's the same photo you ran for your previous article.
Don't you have one from yesterday?
What was the total number of attendees?
Who's property was the grave site on? Did they have permission to bury at the location? Also, I would suggest doing research on the parking lot and property behind the church to see if they have been parking on graves. Was anyone buried on the property that the church is on now? A complete study needs to be done to discover if anybody was buried under the church, or the parking lot (especially being that the location of the parking lot is in close proximity of the church). If people were buried away from the grounds of the church, I would say it was wrong to do so. If remains are in the location, I would highly suggest that the remains be relocated to the church to give them a sacred burial, on the grounds on the church, to make things right again. It was someone decision to not bury them on the grounds, which was most likely the decision to save property (and parking) which would mean that money came before spirit - which is wrong. Give up your parking lot behind the church and make things right for the souls that want to be buried on sacred ground.
Robert, you should submit an article about this to Bethesda Beat. That way a lot more people will become aware of this controversy.
Robert, do your friends at the Macedonia Baptist Church know about your nostalgia for slavery?
Do they know about your contempt for the Southern Poverty Law Center?
"The SPLC is a highly-questionable organization, unethically declaring organizations they disagree with politically as "hate groups." Ridiculous. I keep waiting for the SPLC to declare Greater Greater Washington a "hate group" for the anti-African-American, racist comments their readers post and the pro-gentrification stance of the website. Interestingly, that doesn't happen. Gee, would it happen to be a political reason?"
The cognitive dissonance from the HOC and planning board is telling.
The site that wanted to keep moderate income residents from the debate? No thanks.
Robert has turned me so against Westbard. When the construction finally happens I might take the day off work just to cheer on the demolition crews.
I hate Montgomery County. Probably the worst county in the country.
Is that why you live here?
Is it a cemetery now? Or is something already on top?
I have no sympathy for this group. The land was sold fair and square many years ago. They should take it up with the seller if they think the seller did not have clear title to sell the land.
its the parking lot of the bowling alley already whats the big deal
7:32: My "nostalgia for slavery?" Where have I ever expressed that? SPLC is responsible for shooters who have been radicalized by their arbitrary list of "hate groups" to target organizations. Based on SPLC guidelines, the Catholic Church could be designated a hate group, that's how ridiculous that organization is. Until SPLC correctly declares Greater Greater Washington a hate group, I will not consider them a legitimate organization. In fact, based on their handling of the cemetery issue, the County Council, Montgomery County government, HOC, etc. could be declared "hate groups." Why not? Just because they are all run by the SPLC's political party?
3:13: Why do you keep claiming the cemetery is in the parking lot of the bowling alley? It is behind Westwood Tower next door.
9:22: Yes, the bodies are still down there.
We are living in indecent times.
It's unimaginable the Council is contemplating desecrating the cemetery a second time. The original sin of Westbard repeats. We've learned nothing from our history.
You cared so much about this before? And others in the county? Or nationwide? Or around the world?
It's unimaginable that they did not bury them on church grounds. All for the money! $$$ over spirit. Make the parking lot behind the church their resting place. The souls want to come back home! It makes me sick to know they were buried in the woods, away from sacred ground, just to save parking for the church. If the church wants to really make things right, request to move them back to where they should have been buried in the first place. They caused the problem in the first place, now fix it! (And, pay for it)
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