WATCH: Click here for a full video report on the rally
The Rev. Walter Fauntroy was the headliner, and his presence underlined how unprecedented the uprising against the Montgomery County Executive, County Council, Planning Department and HOC by residents and faith leaders is. Who would have imagined even five years ago that the Rev. Fauntroy, who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would one day march through the "Westbard" area in a protest against supposedly-progressive Montgomery County government? Nobody!
On a very cold afternoon, Fauntroy exhibited the energy of a man one-quarter of his age. He was the rare speaker who could speak authoritatively of past struggles and victories, but in another moment, sound like futurist Elon Musk, as he predicted his clean water and energy technology will change the world in as little as ten years. Fauntroy preached, prayed and marched throughout the three-and-half-hour event, at times shadowboxing or pumping his fist in response to another inspiring orator.
Another celebrity guest on hand was the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus. The Rev. Yearwood has just moved to Bethesda himself, after fighting against the system in post-Katrina New Orleans and Standing Rock. Yearwood suggested a boycott against businesses located in Regency Centers properties may be needed to move the needle in the development giant's boardroom, referring to past boycotts that had great success.
Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich was the only elected official to accept an invitation to speak |
The Rev. Graylan Hagler was an echo of a past preacher at Macedonia Baptist Church, whose sermons could be heard from the church's hill all the way down at the Milton-Loughborough House a century ago. In a booming voice, the Rev. Hagler got to the central issue of how identity and history can be used to control groups. Once you remove a people's historical narrative, "then you can justify doing anything you want to them," Hagler said. "There is, has been, and will be a place for the black community here in Bethesda, here in Montgomery County. We're not going anywhere," Hagler shouted to enthusiastic applause.
Music was provided by cultural activist Luci Murphy, the Youth of Macedonia choir, the Alphonso Coles Capitol Drum Collective and Eric Lewis Multicultural Drummers, and Congregation Beth El cantor Asa Fradkin. South African poet Siki Dlanga read a poem she was inspired to write by the Macedonia fight to save this cemetery, also referred to as the Moses Cemetery, called "Black Lives Matter, Dead or Alive."
Police did not provide traffic control for this march, which resulted in marchers having to shut down River Road themselves to get across to the cemetery site. Once there, the ritual pouring of libations was performed, as the names of some of those buried there were read aloud. A final and dramatic surprise guest was Nanette Hunter (maiden name Parker), the great niece of Cora Botts, who is buried in the cemetery. She said she was "overwhelmed" by the event and show of support from the community and faith leaders.
Rev. Graylan Hagler prepares to address the rally |
Macedonia Baptist Church Social Justice Director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo introduces the Rev. Walter Fauntroy |
In this way, the act of dishonor in desecrating the cemetery has backfired, creating a rare scenario in which wrongs could be made right. As Dlanga's poem so correctly categorizes those below that parking lot, "We have been waiting to be woken up from a sleep. Our business on Earth is not yet done. We have been longing for an opportunity to state our case." That opportunity may now be here.
Fauntroy reacts to a powerful statement by Rev. Hagler |
The Youth of Macedonia choir performs on the church steps |
MBC trustee and former River Road resident Harvey Matthews, County Executive candidate and attorney Robin Ficker, Coleman-Adebayo and SURJ-MoCo's Laurel Hoa listen to Fauntroy's speech |
Matthews tells the crowd how his family and others were forced off their properties on River Road in the 1950s, as Fauntroy embraces another former resident of the lost black community |
Congregation Beth El cantor Asa Fradkin leads a song in Hebrew |
Local historian David Rotenstein |
Ficker promises, if elected, to lock Regency Centers executives in a room and not let them out until they agree to sell the cemetery plot to Montgomery County, while embracing old friend Fauntroy |
The Rev. Lennox Yearwood warned of a boycott of Westbard businesses if Regency Centers doesn't do the right thing regarding the cemetery |
Marchers descend from the church hill to River Road to walk to the cemetery |
The march begins, with MBC Pastor SegĂșn Adebayo, former River Road resident Frank Lancaster, Fauntroy and Ficker leading the way |
Marchers arrive at the cemetery in the shadow of Westwood Tower |
Yearwood leads an African ritual pouring of libations, advising those gathered to touch the earth to connect with the ancestors below |
South African poet Siki Dlanga recited a powerful poem inspired by the Moses Cemetery desecration and fight |
Mardokai Russom (center) of the Multicultural Workers Forum speaks |
Carolyn Lowery represented Impact Silver Spring at the rally |
River Road resident and activist Ralph Wooden said white privilege protects the graves of his ancestors from the kind of desecration that has taken place at the Moses cemetery |
Former River Road resident Frank Lancaster recalls the close relationship between his and Matthews' families |
A last surprise guest was Nanette Hunter, the great niece of Cora Botts, who is buried in the cemetery |
Marchers depart the cemetery and make the climb up to Westbard Avenue |
With no police escort for this protest, marchers detour down the ramp at Westwood Center II for safety reasons |
Matthews speaks at the site of his former home, now home to Whole Foods |
Rev. Adebayo thanks participants as the rally concludes after 3 1/2 hours of speeches, marching and honoring ancestors |
46 comments:
Has-beens, attention-ho's and NIMBYs. More photos than there were people in attendance.
No one cares about this outside of a 1/2-mile radius from the moribund 1960's shopping center.
"Fauntroy exhibited the energy of a man one-quarter of his age. He was the rare speaker who could speak authoritatively of past struggles and victories, but in another moment, sound like futurist Elon Musk, as he predicted his clean water and energy technology will change the world in as little as ten years."
LOL you are insane Dyer.
What's going on in Photo #26? Did someone lose a contact lens?
Robert, are your days of the week messed up? I thought Justice Tuesdays were the only days we brought justice to Westbard. It is Monday. What is going on?
6:43: Always good to hear Regency Centers' take on the news. I bet it's warmer where you are in Florida right now.
6:48: Watch the video.
6:53: Nope, they are pouring libation for ancestors.
7:05: I bring justice every day in Westbard.
"Nope, they are pouring libation for ancestors."
#Woo
How many of these "civil rights leaders" realize that Dyer is an ardent Trump supporter?
"I bring injustice every day in Wheaton."
Waiting for Dyer to start a GoFundme page to raise money to buy the land from Regency. Based on "old sport's" knowledge of real estate values, I am expecting millions from the entitled Bethesda activists.
7:27: You're calling the one guy who is calling for justice for the woman killed in Wheaton (and not letting the killer off the hook, like it sounds will happen right now) as "bringing injustice?" What a nutjob.
Love your Veterans' Day coverage.
1) 3 days late
2) Photos taken at 3 AM, approximately 15 hours after the ceremony
3) No comments allowed.
"About 200 people turned out for a rally at Macedonia Baptist Church yesterday, to protest..."
Your video shows about 40 people attended.
Were you the one providing crowd size estimates for Trump's Inaugural to Sean Spicer?
quesa dilllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaa
tl;dr
Daily reminder: The supposed cemetery land was owned by a black benevolent society. They sold it to a developer.
Blame the seller, not the buyer.
Bethesda Beat is beating Dyer on his home turf! A much better article, just 71 minutes later.
Saith Dyer: "You're calling the one guy who is calling for justice for the woman killed in Wheaton (and not letting the killer off the hook, like it sounds will happen right now) as "bringing injustice?" What a nutjob."
No, you're not - you're a lone fruitcake who is claiming that a fatal lovers' quarrel is actually "the coming turf war between MS-13 and a new spin-off rival".
Also, you don't understand the difference between first- and second-degree murder.
@ &:26 AM - As well as an ardent supporter of the Confederacy and apologist for the KKK in Charlottesville.
So we're still talking about something that was wrongly done in the 1960's?
1) The land was sold
2) A parking lot was built on the land. (possibly desecrating graves)
3) Land was sold.
Why blame the current owners and council? It's currently a parking lot, not a lush green cemetery as suggested.
Remember when Dyer disagreed with my assertion that white-supremacist movement was growing? He pointedly asked me: "Have you seen a KKK rally recently? They're lucky to have 10 people waving signs on the side of a road." To which I replied: "Um...no, I haven't been to a KKK rally. Ever. Never would." But he has. Good times.
So before he calls me a liar and says I'm defaming him, read for yourselves:
Link
While Dyer is hanging with has-beens and trying to raise the dead, Bethesda Beat him to some very big news on Bethesda Row.
Just listened to the video. Yikes, that "music"! It sounds like they are strangling rats.
How much is the Las Vegas CoC paying you for that ad, Robert?
Re 9:03 AM's link - Who knew that changing a light bulb could unleash such passion?
Dyer's photos and video of the crowd are shot at very close range. Looks like he doesn't want you to see that there are only about 50 attending, rather than the 200+ he claims.
"Church member Marsha Coleman-Adebayo said this weekend’s march proves that support for the cause is only strengthening over time.
“I think the rally accomplished what it was supposed to accomplish, and that was to show the breadth of our support in Montgomery County,” said Coleman-Adebayo, who leads the church’s social justice ministry.
She estimated that 300 to 400 people attended the rally." BB
Unbelievable.
Fun Fact: The buyer of the "alleged" cemetery was a Jewish doctor from Hungary (Laszlo Tauber) who came into this country with nothing to build a net worth in excess of $1 billion. Dyer, why aren't you reaching out to his foundation to buy the land from Regency and donate it to the church?
It's too bad the Regency is attacking the church and residents like Robert.
Enough defamation and name calling. It's time for Regency to come to the table and negotiate. We want the museum and park dedicated there.
Be great if the church boycotted all Westbard business. If they could drive out McDonalds and others so we could actually make Westbard a decent area other than suburbia, I would be forever thankful.
@1:40 I have no connection to Regency, but I do respect property rights and the rule of law. The current owner bought it fair and square from the seller. The church needs to get mad at whoever sold it back when it was supposedly a cemetery, not the current owner.
1:40 you are a loser like Dyer.
Defame? Doesn't that require you to be famous or to have money? Not living in your moms basement reviewing twinkies and fast food, and hanging out at the mall and snack shop at the Westbard pool.
The only reason Robert cares is his moms house which he resides in the basement is in Westbard and he doesnt want low income housing (what RObert thinks is MS 13) moving in like a racist scared loser. The sacred grounds are already a parking lot, the land got sold twice over and now someone cares??? Its already a PARKING LOT!!!! All the white people you see so called protesting are NIMBYs pretending to care about the church just have nothing better to do and are stuck in the past, isnt that loser from the purple line lawsuit in the back to it was 50 people there tops. But why did the church speak up now and not after the first parking lot?? Obviously race card got pulled when the country is already dealing with Dyers beloved KKK coming out.
Most liberals are NIMBY, most conservatives are klansman. Dyers blog in a nightshell
More attacks on Robert. He doesn't live in his parents basement.
Shame on Regency and their supporters on the Council & staff for defaming residents standing up against this insane plan.
Dyer won't be intimidated- he will keep reporting on this story.
Dyer completely failed again - he isn’t in the know. Not so much of a peep about Amazon coming to Bethesda. He can report on businesses closing because he takes notice of the closed signs a week after the signs up. But the old chap, missed the biggest five or six stories of the year. I’ll stick to reading the real news that the interns at Bethesda Magazine are putting out rather than the garbage this blog mainly puts out.
Imagine if Robert spent time every day to post on Bethesda Magazine that's it's publisher is a child rapist, bigot, murderer, lives in a basement, etc. No facts, just defaming someone.
So, why are they posting that stuff here anonymously? Weird and disturbing.
And why are they so insecure about their work that they tout it here?
Why did they file a fake news report on yesterday's protest when, apparently, they weren't there? Folks, it's hard to cover Bethesda from Frederick.
So many questions!
The first time Dyer saw the name "MS-13" he thought it meant "13-yo Miss".
6:07pm Dude- your joke isn't any funnier the 5th time you posted it today.
You desperately want to change the topic away from desecrating this cemetery.
"Why did they file a fake news report on yesterday's protest when, apparently, they weren't there? Folks, it's hard to cover Bethesda from Frederick."
Keep telling yourself that, #UnsignedDyer.
3:22pm Roger Berliner wants to desecrate the final resting place of freed slaves so his friends can build a parking garage.
If that's not bigoted and racist, I don't know what is. Berliner is a bigot, verified through his actions on this matter.
Bethesda news through the lens of Frederick, Maryland.
Building a garage on top of a parking lot is "racist"?
Need a Willie Wonka meme for that one.
Nothing is funnier and more pathetic, simultaneously, than watching a bunch of rich old white folks singing "We Shall Overcome".
6:31: Your Klan hood is crooked. Yes, building a garage on top of a parking lot that's on top of a black cemetery is racist.
11:33: I've skeptical that Tauber arrived with nothing. What the Taubers have to answer now is, did they disclose the cemetery to Capital Properties when they sold the land? The impotent County Council never bothered to ask.
And read this:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/chatterbox/2002/07/remembering_laszlo.html
And who shredded the Westwood Tower documents in 2015 or 2016 during the cemetery cover-up? The architect's son? The County? Equity One? The Taubers?
That was a criminal act, and obstruction of justice. Who dunnit?
6:33: Not more pathetic than you, who spend hours a day trolling on my websites, either being paid by developers/County Council or you're a raving lunatic - one or the other.
2:36: No, the reality is that whoever sold the land without disclosing the cemetery could be sued by Regency Centers. Unless it was disclosed and Regency is covering it up.
8:43: Is there anything the alleged killer would say that wouldn't believe? No one even knows if there was an actual relationship. He could have just been stalking her for all we know. Creepy.
I absolutely do know the difference between 1st and 2nd degree, and that's why I'm flabbergasted they are only charging him with 2nd degree, knucklehead.
What evidence do you have that it was premeditated? You need to have such evidence to bring charges of first-degree murder?
According to Dyer @ 6:38...either 6:33 "is being paid by developers/County Council or they're a raving lunatic - one or the other."
Why? Because they read all of Dyer's bloggy sites several times a day.
Wow...most businesses call those folks regular readers.
7:58: Wrong. Actual readers don't post troll comments and spam all day and all night. They read, and they post comments that are actually part of the topic of the article, and behave in a civil fashion even if they disagree with me.
Whoa there buddy. You're making an awful lot of assumptions, most of which are completely whack.
Someone needs to sit you down and walk through how to read comments.
I'll volunteer. Set? Here we go:
Step one. My comment refers to 6:33's comment. We'll start there.
"Nothing is funnier and more pathetic, simultaneously, than watching a bunch of rich old white folks singing "We Shall Overcome"."
Step two. Think about the comment. Does it seem like humor? (Hint: yes, it does)
Is it insulting anyone in particular? (No.)
Is it on topic? (Yes.)
Did you crack a smile? (I know I did.)
Is it thought-provoking? (I think maybe it is.)
Step three. Could this be a one-off comment? (Sure, you can't know for sure as it is anonymous.)
Step four. Think up an appropriate retort. ("If that wasn't so sad it'd be funny" comes to mind.) Post it and feel good about your adult interaction with a reader, that left you both smiling. They'll be plenty of time to snipe at your nemesis, but not everyone is said nemesis.
The End.
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