Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation

About the Commission

The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation was formed on January 29, 2019, with resolution by Councilmembers Hans Riemer, Will Jawando and Craig Rice. The Commission was established to support the goal of bringing the County together to promote a better understanding of our history. The Commission is composed of community leaders, who will work with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and other stakeholders to help the County claim and install the County's monument commemorating the three locations in the County where racial terror lynchings have been documented. The three lynching victims in Montgomery County were Mr. George Peck (1880), Mr. Sidney Randolph (1896), and Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey (1880).  In addition, the Commission will create and install historical markers for each of the three locations, collect and display soil from each of the three locations and design programs to advance the dialogue that the monument, historical markers, and soil collections should foster.

The Commission is composed of 19 members. Out of 19 members, 10 are appointed from the public and have voting rights while 9 non-voting members represent the following agencies of Rockville City and Montgomery County government and community partners: Montgomery County Human Rights Commission; Rockville Human Rights Commission; Lincoln Park Historical Foundation; Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Maryland Lynching Memorial Project; Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County; Montgomery College; Montgomery County Public Schools; and Montgomery County Historical Society. Every voting and non-voting member is appointed by the County Executive with recommendation from Montgomery County Office of Human Rights and confirmation by the County Council.

The Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public and time and dates of each meeting is published on the official  County calendar found on the County website.

Who We Are

Past Members

Sheila Bashiri

Rev. Alexa Fraser

Bishop Paul Walker, Sr.

Oyebisi Olatoye, Rockville HRC

Gboyinde Onijala, Montgomery County Public Schools

Jeanette Rojas, Montgomery College

Administration

James Stowe,   James.Stowe@montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-8490, c.240-888-5502  
Anis Ahmed,    Anis.Ahmed@montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-8454, C-240-888-4753