Summer of Change: 50th Anniversary of the Integration of Glen Echo Park

*See the photos from this event
 

MARKING A MILESTONE IN THE COUNTY'S SOCIAL HISTORY 

On June 26, Glen Echo Park commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1960 protests that led to the integration of the Park. Demonstrations in 1960 protesting segregation at Glen Echo amusement park provoked creation of the Montgomery County Human Relations Commission.

The day-long event, which is free and open to the public, features a discussion led by Juan Williams of National Public Radio with two of the original protesters, as well as Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Hilary O. Shelton of the NAACP; a reading from a new children’s book about the civil rights era; and a staged reading of a play about Glen Echo’s civil rights story. The discussion, which took place in the Bumper Car Pavilion, began at 11am.

The commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Integration of the Park was the highlight of the Park's Heritage Days activities. Heritage Days is a two-day, countywide festival that celebrates the history, culture, and natural beauty of Montgomery County at 40 sites around the county. Glen Echo Park is pleased to participate in this annual event sponsored by Heritage Montgomery.