Wednesday, November 28, 2018

MoCo NAACP grapples with Moses African Cemetery issue

Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice (D - District 2) and County Housing Opportunities Commission Executive Director Stacy Spann appeared at last night's meeting of the Montgomery County NAACP chapter at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Rockville, to discuss affordable housing and the ongoing controversy over the desecrated Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda. Their comments aligned with a new narrative County officials debuted this fall, which attempts to downplay the status of Macedonia Baptist Church as the sole contemporary party to the cemetery so far, and tie the specific story of these graves to a more general narrative about black cemeteries countywide. Under this narrative, there may be an effort to memorialize the cemetery, but the potential remains for bodies to be removed for development under existing Maryland law, or for a sham study to declare no remains exist due to the extreme depth at which many of the graves now lie - far beyond the range of ground penetrating radar.

Something will likely be done to memorialize the cemetery, Rice told attendees, which included representatives of Macedonia Baptist Church and their supporters, as well as members of the NAACP chapter. What that will be, whether everyone will agree on its adequacy, and who will pay for it, were subjects of disagreement in the room. There were also more-fundamental disagreements between the version of events so far given by Rice and Spann, and the church's version. That led to the NAACP announcing near the end of the meeting that it would appoint two mediators from its membership to meet with Macedonia and the HOC. to see if the parties can reach an agreement among themselves and developer Regency Centers on how to proceed.

One new detail that came to light is that Regency Centers had expressed some openness to the possibility of giving HOC an easement across part of its Bowlmor site, to access the rear parking garage of Westwood Tower. Currently, drivers pass over the parking lot to the side and rear of the building, that was laid atop the intact graves outside of the Westwood Tower footprint. That asphalt is believed to rest on top of as much as 60' of fill dirt dumped on the graves by the builder of Westwood Tower in the late 1960s, who also desecrated the cemetery.

However, when Macedonia Baptist Church officials took the potential offer to HOC, they say HOC declined to respond. That is at least one point NAACP officials hope their mediation can resolve.

"This is something that deeply touches my soul, what happened to our people," Macedonia Baptist Church Pastor Segun Adebayo told attendees after Rice and Spann spoke.

Rice had suggested taxpayers would pick up the tab for whatever memorial might be erected on, or near, the site. Adebayo sharply disputed that, saying his church has sought no money, and would raise any such funds from private donors itself.

Macedonia Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry Chair Marsha Coleman Adebayo reminded attendees of just how far cemetery advocates had come on their own over the last two years. "It took two years for the County to acknowledge it was a cemetery," she said, holding up a County map of the two graveyard parcels. She noted the church and their supporters had used public pressure - through marches, rallies and other actions - to temporarily stop Montgomery County, Regency and HOC from building a parking garage on top of the cemetery.

"Everything that we've gained so far, we've gained because we had the courage to go into the street and fight for it," Coleman Adebayo said. She added that 18 American University students are now researching the cemetery, and the vanished black community that existed around it from the end of the Civil War to the 1960s. They are collecting oral histories, and any remaining physical artifacts, she said. Such materials could be archived and displayed in the museum church officials envision being constructed at the site one day.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

"This is something that deeply touches my soul, what happened to our people," Macedonia Baptist Church Pastor Segun Adebayo told attendees after Rice and Spann spoke."

Rev. Adebayo is Nigerian.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Dyer, do you have a map showing the site of the cemetery, and showing current buildings that were built over it? This would be extremely helpful for your readers, to understand the issue. I don't understand why you have not already posted such, and have not posted it with every single one of your articles on this subject.

Anonymous said...

Daily reminder: the alleged cemetery was owned by a Black benevolent society and they sold it more than 50 years ago, fair and square. The church should take up the matter with that seller, not the current owner.

The alleged cemetery must not have been very important if the society sold it.

Also, there is nothing preventing the church from setting up their own memorial on their own property. Plenty of space behind the church in their parking lot.

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of a museum. It would be a nice addition to the "New Westbard". I bet most residents, future and current, know the history of the area.

Anonymous said...

10:02am edit - meant to say most people DON'T know the history. That makes the museum essential in my mind.

Anonymous said...

7:50 AM - what an odd comment (and "odd" is being polite). As pastor of the church, he is certainly entitled to refer to them as our people. Who cares where he came from.

Anonymous said...

Other than not wanting any new housing built, what exactly does Robert Dyer wish to see happen to the land where the cemetery reputedly was? Does he want the Westwood Tower torn down and the "60' of fill dirt" dug up?

Or is he content just to leave the cemetery in its current "desecrated" state?

Unknown said...

The history of the Moses Burial ground and the Black community that once lived on River Road is an important cultural resource for all Montgomery residence.

Boyce Bowles said...

Agreed. Having a museum or cultural resource center on site would add a much needed dimension to the redevelopment.

As it is, there is no meaningful art, historical or cultural elements to the plan. The museum would add all three and be a resource for local students.

History will keep repeating if we don't remind folks what happened there.

Roald said...

Looking forward to it!

Anonymous said...

I heard Bangladesh has nicer roads than Bethesda.

Anonymous said...

In which blogger Robert Dyer makes it clear that he has no idea what the legal term "hearsay" actually means:

http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2017/04/fact-checking-westbard-cemetery.html

@ 7:59 AM - I believe that the map you are looking for, can be found at the link above. Although the resolution is poor. Like you, I don't understand why Dyer does not include this map with each and every article he writes on this subject.

What's interesting is the map appears to show that the McDonald's site encroaches on the cemetery as well, yet you never read Dyer demonizing his beloved Mickey Dee's.

Anonymous said...

The yellow area on that map doesn't encroach McDonald's

Robert Dyer said...

4:27: That is not a true land record map; it was just made to show the approximate location of the cemetery. The cemetery is not on the McDonald's site at all. The land drops off like a cliff behind McDonald's, which is why there is a retaining wall. The road behind McDonald's was the road that led to the cemetery.

Anonymous said...

If you only know the "approximate location" of the cemetery, then how can you say with certainty that McDonald's doesn't encroach on it?

Anonymous said...

7:30 - And Talbert's, too.

Anonymous said...

A 10-foot-high retaining wall is not a "cliff".

Anonymous said...

Isn't it clear to everyone that Robert Dyer is a Russian troll solely here to spread misinformation and cause dissent among the leaders of the world, the bethesdians!?

Anonymous said...

Notice how Dyer never ever engages in conversations with the "sheepshills".

Robert Dyer said...

7:30: The exact location of the cemetery is recorded in the land records. McDonald's is not part of it. However, Tauber and possibly the WSSC may have relocated graves outside of the boundaries, so that's why cemetery advocates were correctly arguing for a full investigation before allowing the self-storage site and other directly adjacent properties to redevelop.

7:39: In the angle of the drop-off, yes it is like a cliff, tool.

9:09: Isn't it clear to everyone that you are facing a stiff federal prison sentence for your continued harassment, threats and stalking? You're just an identity reveal away from being thrown in the slammer. Think about, and maybe you'll realize it's smart to stop now and walk away a free man.

Robert Dyer said...

5:48: Why would I argue with people who already agree with me? Your low IQ is obvious.

Anna said...

"Having a museum or cultural resource center on site would add a much needed dimension to the redevelopment."

Sure BoBo. Who's paying for it? Who's paying to staff it? Who's paying for maintenance? Are you volunteering?

Anna said...

Step one:
Find out if there are actually, prove-ably, human remains at the site. And, if so, where they are located.

Step two:
Everything else.

Anonymous said...

Do you plan to build this "museum" on top of the graves, further desecrating them?

Anonymous said...

Allow the black activists to attach a small plaque 8"x8" on the top floor of the parking garage as you exit the high speed elevators to get in your big Ford gas guzzling SUV.The gov't subsidized electric car is dead. Take it or leave it.