Soil Collection Ceremony for Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Sidney Randolph

344 Martins Lane,Rockville MD 20850

26 September, 2021

Description

Part of Remembrance Weekend, this Soil Collection Ceremony will memorialize two men who were lynched in Montgomery County, MD in the 1800s. PROGRAM: The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project invites the public to a Soil Collection Ceremony to memorialize two men who were lynched in Rockville, Maryland in the 1800s. Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey, 23, who worked on a local farm, was dragged from the county jail and lynched in 1880. Mr. Sidney Randolph, a native of Georgia in his mid-twenties, was lynched in 1896. We believe that by reckoning with the truth of the racial violence that has shaped our communities, we can advance healing and reconciliation. The Ceremony, which is expected to last about one hour, will recognize the traumatic era of lynching. It will feature the collection of soil from near the lynching sites, music and song, reflections from community leaders, and readings by local high school students. It will end with a time for community fellowship. __ ACCESSIBILITY: We welcome all members of our community and hope that you will share with us any access needs you have. - We have limited seating available for those who request it. If it rains, we will not be allowed to put chairs out. - We will provide ASL interpretation of our main program and seats around the interpreters will be reserved. - We will have designated parking and drop-off areas for people for whom walking a distance would be difficult. - Single-stall bathrooms will also be accessible and there are some paved ramps, however, it should be noted that the majority of the program takes place on an open field. - There will be a line for soil collection reserved for people for whom bending or kneeling on the ground would be challenging. - Shady Grove and Rockville WMATA / Metro stations will be closed on the day of our event. We will provide a shuttle bus, routes and stops to be determined. Details will be sent to those who register through Eventbrite. __ SAFETY: Face masks/coverings are not required but are recommended for anyone who is not fully vaccinated. We will continue to follow guidance from Montgomery County about gathering protocol during the pandemic. Our event will be held rain or shine, unless in the case of an extreme weather emergency. If that is the case, we will email Eventbrite ticket holders and announce cancellation here - click for Facebook link. __ ASSOCIATED REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND EVENTS: Taking place September 25-26, The weekend includes a morning conference on Saturday, September 25, led by Montgomery History, and a pilgrimage Remembrance Walk on Sunday September 26 from noon to 2:45 PM. To learn more and to register for these events: Link to Remembrance Walk: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/remembrance-walk-tickets-164524871319 __ TO LEARN MORE: Much effort and care has gone into preserving and documenting this painful legacy. Please visit this site to learn more. __ ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS: The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project, affiliated with the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, seeks to educate and engage the community about the history and legacy of lynching and racial terrorism in Montgomery County, Maryland. This is the second soil collection ceremony in Montgomery County to memorialize the three victims of terror lynching in the county. For more information, click here. This event is supported by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. EJI representatives will be at the soil collection event and will bring jars of the soil we collect in remembrance of Mr. Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Randolph to The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Alabama. For more information, click here.