Gaithersburg Event Remembers Racial Lynchings in Montgomery County
A discussion on the racial lynchings that took place more than a century ago in Montgomery County will be held on Sept. 14 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the pavilion in Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park. The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project, in partnership with the Gaithersburg Community Museum present “A Walk of Remembrance: Facing Hard History Together.”
Alexa Fraser and Lesley Younge of the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project will discuss the work their group is doing to educate and engage the community about the history and legacy of lynching and racial terrorism in Montgomery County. There were three known racial lynchings in Montgomery County from 1880 to 1896.
- George Peck (around January 10, 1880): Peck was seized and lynched in or near Poolesville as a justice transported him to Rockville for trial.
- John Diggs-Dorsey (around July 27, 1880): Diggs-Dorsey was dragged from a Rockville jail and lynched outside of Darnestown after a mob overpowered the sheriff and his deputies.
- Sidney Randolph (around July 3, 1896): Randolph was dragged from jail and hanged around the Rockville area.
In May, Governor Hogan issued posthumous pardons for 34 lynchings in Maryland, including Peck, Diggs-Dorsey, and Randolph.
The program will also cover the steps the City of Gaithersburg has taken to ensure equity and racial justice. A memorial walk through Bohrer Park will follow the presentations.
Bohrer Park is located at 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. If there is rain, the program will be held inside the Activity Center.
The program is not recommended for young children.
The event is free but registration is required.
Previous posts:
Commission Remembers County Residents Lynched More Than a Century Ago
Hogan Grants Posthumous Pardons for 34 Lynching Victims; 3 in Montgomery County
Lynchings in Rockville are Subject of Two-Day Virtual Discussion
Lynching Victim Is Honored With Soil Collection Ceremony in Poolesville
Commission Established to Honor 19th-Century Lynching Victims
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