Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition asks on Anti-Racist Speaker Coming to Montgomery County to Share Platform or Cancel Appearance

July 11, 2024

Later today, Tim Wise a prominent anti-racism educator will be speaking as part of a Montgomery County Public Libraries ‘Contemporary Conversations’ speaker series.

The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC), a local advocate group “committed to ending the desecration of the historic Moses African Cemetery on River Road to memorialize those buried there,” released the following statement saying that they have been attempting to contact Tim Wise about his appearance and ask him to share his platform with BACC or to cancel the event in protest of the desecration of the cemetery.

Full Text of Statement

Today, Thursday July 11th, anti-racist educator Tim Wise will be speaking in Montgomery County as part of Montgomery County Public Libraries “Contemporary Conversations” series. His talk “On Race, Class and Privilege” will take place in the context of an ongoing racist hate crime (the desecration of Moses African Cemetery) being facilitated by the same county leadership, in this case Marc Elrich, who has stated that inviting Mr. Wise “aligns with our county’s commitment to equity and social justice.”

This is the same county executive who has provided political and ideological cover to the private developers that removed 200+ improperly and/or untested bones from Moses Cemetery in 2020 (among other heinous crimes).

We continue to demand that our ancestors’ remains be returned to us.

BACC has attempted to contact Mr. Wise through social media but have been unable to reach him directly. We are disturbed that a white man is profiting off a county actively destroying Black bodies, Black graves, and Black history while disregarding a Black led organization which is struggling against the racism and classism Mr. Wise has made a career lecturing about.

We have asked Mr. Wise to share his platform with BACC and/or to cancel his lecture in protest of Montgomery County’s depraved racist desecration of hundreds of graves in Moses. Please support BACC by ensuring this message reaches Mr. Wise.

We have still been unable to contact @timjacobwise who will be providing a lecture tonight in Montgomery County on race, classism, and privilege. This is the very county currently desecrating a Black burial ground.

Our statement: pic.twitter.com/HBl29DOQkI

— Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (@BethAfrCemetery) July 11, 2024

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