Emily DeMarco

“Echoes of the Enslaved” Event

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The Prince George’s County division of M-NCPPC is hosting its annual “Echoes of the Enslaved” event September 16 and 17, 2022. This year’s event will focus on the lasting legacies of chattel slavery in Prince George’s County with Riversdale House Museum highlighting their work with descendants of those who were enslaved.

On September 16, three descendants will participate in a panel discussion at 6 p.m., followed by an opportunity for attendees to break into small discussion groups to talk about the legacies of slavery and their impact on the modern world. The second portion begins at 8 p.m. This event is free but registration is limited to 50 people. Click this link to register, and see the accompanying flyer for more information.

On September 17 from noon – 4 p.m., there will be a celebration of resilience, health and wellness on the grounds of Riversdale House Museum. The festival-like event will include musical performances, cooking demonstrations, history talks, an archaeological dig, genealogy opportunities, family wellness activities and more. This event is FREE, with no pre-registration required.

Echoes22_FINAL_updateDownload

Special General Meeting

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project will hold a special general meeting this Saturday, August 20, at 2 p.m.

Most of this meeting will be focused on planning for the soil collection ceremony to honor Mr. Thomas Juricks. We need many hands to make light work, so even if you are not on that committee, or not on any committee, please attend if you are able so you can consider ways you might be able to help. We have opportunities for folks with all types of skills and varying levels of time commitments. Something as simple as sending one email to one contact could help tremendously.

We hope to see everyone there! As always, newcomers are warmly welcomed.

PGC LMP Essay and Creative Arts Contests Winners

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is honored and excited to congratulate the winners of our racial justice essay contest and our racial justice creative arts contest. Each of our winners is a student at a high school in Prince George’s County.

Students who won the essay and creative arts contest pose with award plaques and certificates around a posterboard for PGC LMP
Chelsea Nelson, from left, Chase Matthews, Kai Lampley, Anise Lampley, Miso Abitria, Aleila Rankin, and Diana Osuji (on behalf of Stephanie Osuji) accepted their awards from Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan (back center).

Members of our coalition celebrated the winners and their families at two county Juneteeth events: a display table at the county Parks and Recreation Department festival and an awards ceremony held at the Greenbelt Community Center. It was great for us to gather in person after a long pandemic season of meeting virtually, and it was even better to hear from the talented students who took part in our contests.

Diana Osuji shares a moment of joy with Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan, left, and PGC LMP member Dr. Lois Rosado.
Miso Abitria, a student at Charles Herbert Flowers High School, reads from her 3rd place essay.
PGC LMP member Pat Neal talks with attendees at the award ceremony as she staffs the information booth.
People sit in two rows of chairs watching a woman in front of a projector making a presentation.
PGC LMP Co-Secretary Lula Beatty gives remarks at the awards ceremony.
More photos are available on our Facebook page!

Thanks go to the city of Greenbelt for providing space for us to host our awards ceremony and to Greenbelt Access Television (GATe) for broadcasting and recording the ceremony; to our sponsor of the essay contest, the Equal Justice Initiative; and to the co-sponsors of our creative arts contest, the Prince George’s County NAACP chapter and Joe’s Movement Emporium; and to our guest judges from the community who selected our winners.

Thank you as well to each of the students who entered these contests. Congratulations to the following students who were selected as winners. They received an award plaque or certificate as well as scholarship money for their future educational pursuits.

Essay Contest Winners

NameAwardSchool
Stephanie Osuji1st PlaceEleanor Roosevelt High School
Alyssa Liverman2nd PlaceDr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School
Miso Abitria3rd PlaceCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Aleila Rankin3rd PlaceOxon Hill High School
Ji’Mie WomackHonorable MentionCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Blessing NwokeHonorable MentionEleanor Roosevelt High School

Creative Arts Contest Winners

Name/Title of SubmissionAward/CategorySchool
Anise Lampley “Perennial Prejudice”1st place: Creative WritingOxon Hill High School
Chase Matthews “Hoodie”2nd place:  Creative WritingHome-schooled
Kai Lampley “The Tree of Cain”3rd place: Creative WritingOxon Hill High School
Chisom Amaikwu “When Race Clashes with Police”Honorable Mention:  Creative WritingAcademy of Health Sciences: Prince George’s County Community College
Nadia McCall “Gentrified”1st place: Visual ArtsCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Richard Martin “Lynching”2nd place: Visual ArtsLaurel High School
Seanna Harper “Her Life Mattered”3rd place:  Visual ArtsChesapeake Math and IT (CMIT) North
Momdjo Ashuakpa Windioscars Mbi “Environmental Racism”Honorable Mention: Visual ArtsCentral High School  
David Ingram “Justice”1st place: Spoken WordCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Chelsea Nelson “Black Baby’s First Misrepresentation”2nd place: Spoken WordCentral High School

PGCLMP at Juneteenth Celebrations

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is pleased to be participating in several of the local Juneteenth events this year!

We are providing an information booth at the Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation Department Juneteenth Festival at Watkins Regional Park on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 5 p.m. Come meet coalition members, learn about the history and continuing legacy of racial terror lynchings and the institution of slavery in our county, and see some of the winning artwork from our student creative arts contest. We will also be giving away prizes on the hour to folks who can answer questions about our work and the lynching victims, so be sure to read our informational materials and this website for a chance to win. For details about the event, visit this link.

Then, join members of our Education Committee at the Greenbelt Community Center gymnasium from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on June 18 for an awards ceremony honoring the winners of the arts contest and the racial justice essay contest. Hear some of the essayists read from their work and join us in celebrating the talented young people in our county. See the flyer below for more information.

Webinar: Where Do We Go From Here?

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The History and Genealogy Committee invites you to Part III of their webinar series. This session is on Thursday, May 12, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. and features a full panel of guest speakers.

“Where Do We Go From Here?” will address issues that intersect: communities of color, immigration, housing, voting, poverty, reparations, and more, with a focus on how to build coalitions to do this work.

Register for free at https://bit.ly/PGCLMP_May2022

Mission Statement Change: A Change for Honor, Respect,  and Accuracy

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project has revised its mission statement to honor and show respect for the Africans who were enslaved in America and reflect accuracy in current historical terminology. The specific changes made were: first, to explicitly state our concern with the fates of the Africans who were enslaved and their descendants and to honor their full humanity by not implicitly suggesting they were only “slaves”; and, second, to use the now preferred term of the “institution of slavery” versus “slavery” since the institution or system of slavery and other systemic oppressions are the major causes of current day racial injustices and are a major focus of our work. Selected sources supporting the reasons for this change include the following:     

New Mission Statement  

The  Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project educates the public about the truths of our nation’s continuing legacy of the institution of slavery and its impact on enslaved persons and their descendants, memorializes victims of racial terror lynchings in our county, and advances the cause of racial justice and reconciliation through mutual support and collaboration.

PGC LMP Tour of Piscataway

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project will be hosting a tour of Piscataway sites associated with the 1869 lynching of Thomas Juricks, on Sunday, August 8, 2021, beginning at 3 p.m.

The tour has been developed by our Community Remembrance Project Committee, with one of our volunteer members using historical records and maps to identify sites associated with Mr. Juricks’s life as well as the horrific events of that day. The tour will be conducted via carpool, with vehicles traveling to the various sites and attendees gathering on roadsides to hear and discuss the history.

The tour is FREE and open to the public. We would especially love to have some of our neighbors in Piscataway and surrounding communities join us, share their stories, learn about our work, and connect with us.

We will meet at the Fort Washington Forest Community Center and leave promptly at 3 p.m., so arrive around 2:45 if possible. The tour will go until 4:30 p.m. and be followed by an optional social gathering.

We are also planning a community remembrance project for Mr. Juricks and welcome community members to be involved in all stages of that process. Contact us for more information, to give suggestions or to ask questions.

Hope to see you on August 8!

“The Capitol Lynching” Webinar

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Join us Thursday, February 25 at 7 p.m. for Part I of a webinar series organized by our Education Committee.

“The Capitol Lynching: Decoding America’s Intention. Where Are We Now?” will provide a brief overview of historical lynchings in the U.S. and specifically Prince George’s County and the consequences for both Black and white communities, while taking a look at the events on Jan. 6 as they relate to the history of lynching culture and the continuing problems of race-baiting hate, disenfranchisement and exclusion. We will also examine the U.S.’s current commitment to ensuring racial equity and justice.

Attendance is free but pre-registration is required: https://www.zoom.us/…/tJAkcOurpzIvG9awRlXr79vSKrnJpkoUaIJE