The national debate on President Trump’s historical blindness regarding slavery and the history of Black people in general moves to a Montgomery County courthouse on August 25 and 26. Two developers, representing both the private and public sectors, have filed motions to dismiss historic lawsuits brought by the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) that challenge the right of corporations and local governments to desecrate African burial grounds of the enslaved and their descendants.
“Instead of apologizing for slavery and the desecration of African people, the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and 1784 Holdings are fighting at the local level to implement President Trump’s philosophy that “slavery wasn’t so bad,” said BACC President, Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo. “I believe the notion that desecration of African people or slavery is acceptable is simply evil and disgusting, said Rev. Segun Adebayo. President Trump has said openly what is at the core of the upcoming hearings, which is are Black people considered human?”
1784 Holdings, one of the developers in this case, has stored remains excavated from Moses Cemetery in a Wetland Solutions Warehouse in Gainesville, Virginia for over five years. Requests to return the remains to the descendant community have fallen on deaf ears. BACC visited the site to conduct a prayer session and perform libation and African dances to honor the ancestors.
Montgomery County courts will soon reveal what side of history they represent.
The Maryland Supreme Court rendered a favorable decision in this case that is being challenged.
A section of Moses Cemetery, a large burial space where those enslaved by European kidnappers were dumped, is the site of on-going construction. A structure has been built for a self-story facility that spans nearly 8 floors in an area where bones and funerary objects were found during excavation. Despite human DNA being found on the bones, not a single government official has taken action against the further destruction of the burial ground and evidence relevant to this case.
The other portion of the Moses Cemetery lies under a parking lot. The Maryland Supreme Court has confirmed over 200 bodies are defiled daily by cars. Both cemeteries are being desecrated with the knowledge of Montgomery County and Maryland State elected officials.
According to the Montgomery County burial records, civil war veteran Pvt. William H.H. Brown, a member of the US Colored Troops, is buried in Moses African Cemetery, along with hundreds of other Black descendants.
This week, BACC was interviewed on NBC4 regarding president Trump’s recent actions, which aim to undermine what is shown in Smithsonian museums. BACC considers Montgomery County government’s erasure of local history to be no different from those that Trump is taking.
Source: BACC