The Land & Memory/ Community News & Community Events
The Land & Memory/ Community News & Community Events
Thank you for your support!
How we remember matters. Last month, I had a chance to attend an event commemorating Maryland’s Emancipation Day. The memory of Black peoples’ ancestors being enslaved is still alive in our communities. It is alive because, as La Verne Gray and Brittney Drakeford said, we are still here. American descendants of Africa still have a strong oral tradition, where stories and documents are passed down from generation to generation.
In this narrative, I show how people want to remember, how people didn’t know about the history of near Central Avenue, and how they reacted once they were informed. As always, interviewees speak about spirituality in this article. Andriana Bradford, Susan, and Ralph Jackson, all business owners, who attended the event, were informed and inspired by the descendants’ stories and the Rosenwald School Museum. You can read the full article here.
Excerpt: Alongside Central Avenue stands a beige sign that reads “Ridgeley Rosenwald School.” Near the sign, is a blacktop road that leads to the Rosenwald School Museum, once a functional all-Black neighborhood school. On Nov. 4, attendees for the Turnip Tour, a Capital Market pop-up farmers market, stood in a circle, not far from the beige sign, listening to Brittney Drakeford and La Verne Gray, descendants of enslaved Black people, speak about their connection to the land and their history of the place.
Attendees are there to commemorate Maryland’s Emancipation Day, which occurred on Nov. 1. During the Civil War, Maryland was a border state, which meant that the Emancipation Proclamation (which became law on January 1, 1863) didn’t immediately demand that white oppressors free Black people from the shackles of being property. More than a year later, on Nov. 1, 1864, the state finally freed enslaved Black people from chattel slavery. But some white families kidnapped Black children, re-enslaving under the guise of apprenticeships.“What is remarkable is that freed people settled here along Central Avenue,” said La Verne Gray, a descendant of Lewis Ridgeley, who was enslaved on the Concord Plantation (prison industrial camp) in the 1800s.
Community Meetings
Council Member At-Large Calvin S. Hawkins' to Host 2023 Holiday Toy Drive
Prince George's County Council Member At-Large Calvin S. Hawkins, II will host a Holiday Toy Drive, in support of the F.R.E.S.H. Community Program (Fully Restoring Every Sons Hope).
From now through December 16, 2023, residents may drop off unwrapped toy donations for County youth at the Office of Prince George's County Council Member At-Large Calvin Hawkins, II.
LOCATION:
Wayne K. Curry Administration Building
1301 McCormick Drive, 2nd Floor
Largo, Maryland 20774
*Donations will be accepted Mondays - Fridays, from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM*
Your generosity can make a world of difference for the children of Prince George's County. Let's work together ensure that children in Prince George's County all have an unforgettable holiday season, full of fond memories to be remembered for years to come!
For more information, please call (301) 952-2195 or email At-LargeMemberHawkins@co.pg.md.us.
_
2023 Deserving Children Holiday Dinner
The holidays are a special time for families to gather, enjoy a meal and make lasting memories, but for those who are struggling to feed their families, the season adds additional stress and challenges.
Join Prince George's County Council Member Sydney Harrison, in partnership with Our Sons Rise, in ensuring that deserving children will receive a special Holiday meal on Friday, December 15, 2023, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
LOCATION:
Tree of Life Ministries
9101 Piscataway Road
Clinton, MD 20735
For more information, please contact the Council District 9 team at (301)952-3820 or email CouncilDistrict9@co.pg.md.us.
_
PROJECT OASIS: A DAY OF HEALING
Project Oasis is a one-day initiative that aims to offer support and solace to individuals in our community who are grappling with mental health challenges. As we are all aware, the statistics from the CDC for 2021 revealed a staggering number of individuals, including 620 Maryland residents, who tragically lost their lives to suicide.
Day: Saturday, December 2, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Location: Creative Suitland4719 Silver Hill RoadSuitland-Silver Hill, MD, 20746United States (map)
Register here
_
DYP & FLOW Presents ASCENSION Solo Art Exhibit - Opening Reception
Day: Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Creative Suitland4719 Silver Hill Road Suitland-Silver Hill, MD, 20746United States (map)
_
The 90-Day Financial Challenge Workshop
The goal is to help you move one step closer to building a better financial future. You will also have a chance to win $500
Understanding your personal credit, learning to budget and investing in your financial future.
Here is what you will get: Free Credit Consultation Free Credit Report Free Resume Free Financial Assessment Free Budget Sheet Free Headshot.
Community News
Investigation launched into site selection process for new FBI headquarters
Excerpt: The watchdog for the General Services Administration will investigate the process that led the federal agency to choose a Maryland site over two others for the new FBI headquarters.
Acting Inspector General Robert Erickson wrote in a letter released Thursday that the “objective will be to assess the agency’s process and procedures for the site selection to relocate the FBI Headquarters.”
“We intend to begin this work immediately and will share with you and the relevant committees a copy of any report which may result from this evaluation,” Erickson wrote in the letter to Virginia Sen. Mark Warner.
_
Senate campaign updates: Trone’s new ad, Alsobrooks endorsed by Scott, upcoming forum
Excerpt: Democratic candidates seeking the U.S. Senate seat continued their push for support through a new ad, an endorsement in the city of Baltimore and a gathering with supporters in Florida.
Rep. David Trone (D-6th) released his ninth campaign ad Saturday, the same week the congressman received an official endorsement from the National Education Association.
The 60-second video entitled “Teachers” features public school educators, who only use their first names, summarized the need for more funding, counselors and other educational resources.
The teachers also noted other job titles they take on for students: cheerleader, counselor and mentor.
_
Voices Of Wards 7 And 8: What A Dedicated Go-Go Museum Means To D.C.
Excerpt: The Go-Go Museum and Café has been a long time coming. Anti-violence activist Ronald Moten, who’s behind the forthcoming museum in Anacostia, has spoken publicly about his idea for a place that would celebrate the history and culture of go-go music for at least five years. But ask him about it directly, and Moten will say that the work to create this museum began decades ago.
“None of this stuff just happened,” Moten tells DCist/WAMU. “This was a vision and a fight with others to make it happen.”
_
Douglas Point harbors nature and history in Southern Maryland
Excerpt: Looking for a place to stroll or bicycle through a dense forest, spy a bald eagle and comb a sandy beach for shells and shark teeth? Try Douglas Point on the Potomac River in Southern Maryland.
It’s not a state, local or national park. Rather, it’s a 548-acre “special recreation management area” owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency known for managing vast land holdings in the West and leasing them out to graze cattle, drill for oil and gas, or mine for precious metals.
_
Prince George’s County Police Shot Their Dog. Now They’re Suing For $16 Million
Excerpt: A group of Prince George’s County residents is suing the county police department for $16 million in damages over a 2021 incident where police allegedly entered their apartment without a warrant and shot their dog.
The plaintiffs in the suit — Erica Umana, Erika Erazo Sanchez, Dayri Amaya Benitez, and Brandon Cuevas, who were all roommates at the time of the shooting — allege that police officers got a key to their apartment from a maintenance worker at their Landover Hills apartment complex. The officers then illegally entered the apartment, assaulted and falsely detained them, and shot their dog, Hennessy, leaving her paralyzed and leading to her euthanization, according to the lawsuit.
_
Transforming Prince George’s County Through Trauma-Informed Care
Excerpt: Imagine a parent who's been working tirelessly to provide for their family, only to find out they're just on the cusp of qualifying for crucial government assistance. In this moment, the weight of their situation might become too much, and frustration boils over. They might raise their voice or have an angry outburst, lashing out at the community provider who has just shared this news with them.
In this situation, the employee has an opportunity to provide support and comfort, understanding that this surge of emotion often stems from circumstances way beyond the parent's control. So, they step in with a trauma-informed lens, and are able to respond with patience and care. They validate the parent’s experience, listen and hold space, and then partner with the family to find alternative ways to get the help and support that the family needs. It's a gesture of kindness that acknowledges the depth of their struggle and offers a glimmer of hope in a tough moment.