TELL THE COUNTY “PAUSE” ON CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
Developer 1784 Holdings LLC is moving to finalize a project on a historic African burial ground. A Certificate of Occupancy from Montgomery County would allow construction to continue on sacred ground that contains the remains of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Sign the petition to demand a PAUSE.
Give our ancestors their day in court!
The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and interdisciplinary social justice organization based in Bethesda, MD, that grew out of the social justice ministry of Macedonia Baptist Church.
MISSION: The Coalition seeks to stop the desecration of Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda, Maryland and honor the ancestors whose resting place has been disturbed and whose history has been erased. BACC seeks to preserve the rich history of the resistance movement organized by the African maroon community on River Road, Graysville, and its survival strategies that provide important road maps for future generations. BACC does this by rigorously engaging in public education, legal strategies, community organizing and advocacy. Our long term goal is to create a living memorial, museum and community organizing center, a space in which historical struggles will inform the strategies of future generations on how to fight domination.
WHY WE FIGHT
UPCOMING EVENTS
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WEEKLY RALLY
Every Wednesday at 4pm
Location: Moses Cemetery
Address: 5204 River Rd, Bethesda, MD
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JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
MORE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
BECOME A MONTHLY SUSTAINER
BACC is facing growing legal fees up to $30,000. Donate now to keep the struggle alive.
BECOME A BACC INTERN
BACC’s Youth Leadership Cohort is a year-long program for local high school students that are interested in working in justice, community and preserving Black history.
HIGHLIGHTED PRESS
Opinion: Montgomery County shouldn’t pave over a Black community’s past
Washington Post. September 8, 2024
ABOUT MOSES CEMETERY
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Moses Cemetery is a 200+ year old burial ground which was in use during two distinct periods of African history: pre and post-emancipation. It is located in Bethesda, Maryland, right outside of Washington D.C. Today, the burial ground is divided up into multiple sections.
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One section, which was in use up until the 20th century, is currently buried underneath a parking lot.
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Another section which houses the remains of hundreds, possibly thousands of Africans who were trafficked from Africa to work and die on River Road, is actively being erased.
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A third section of Moses African Cemetery, where remains were unearthed during construction and trafficked to a WSSI Warehouse in Virginia. BACC is in litigation to stop the desecration.
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Dozens of bones, some with human DNA, funerary objects, archaeologically relevant soils, and other historically and spiritually sacred artifacts have been removed from the site. Many of these objects have been destroyed. Luckily, some were recovered by BACC in 2020.
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By Paul Rispin of farms and estates around 1865 at River Road with 2022 Google Maps. Composite by Gail Rebhan.
Starting in the 1700s, Europeans began trafficking Africans to several plantations along River Road. The four largest plantations were; the Counselman, Shoemaker, Loughborough, and Posey estates. The land around Moses was hilly and unproductive, so it was used as a burial ground for the Africans who died on River Road.
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Cabin on Solyom Estate occupied by Botts family members, July 1895. Photo courtesy of Ralph Wooden.
After emancipation, a community of Black people flourished for almost a century – they built homes, a school, ballfields, a church and a cemetery. In the 1860s, white slave owners began selling their land to freed Africans.
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Photo courtesy of The Guardian.
By 1910, at least thirty Black families were living along River Road. These families worked in emerging industries or made a living through agricultural production. In 1937, Macedonia Baptist Church established a location on River Road and in April 1945, the church moved across the street to where it remains to this day.
