Rockville Memorial Library is located at 21 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.
The exhibit, launched in collaboration with Peerless Rockville and Montgomery History, seeks to memorialize and honor two men who were lynched in Rockville: John Diggs-Dorsey in 1880 and Sidney Randolph in 1896. The exhibit also recognizes the story of George Peck, who was lynched in Poolesville in 1880. The exhibit is part of a larger initiative to educate and engage the community in acknowledging the history and legacy of lynching and racial terrorism in Montgomery County.
“We are very honored to host this exhibit,” said Montgomery County Public Libraries Director Anita Vassallo. “This is the first time the exhibit will be openly available to the public. Its initial viewing was at the Red Brick Courthouse by appointment only.”
Working closely with the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., and the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, MoCoLMP is part of a larger effort to advance the cause of reconciliation in Maryland, advocating for public acknowledgement of the murders and working to honor and dignify the lives of the victims.
As highlighted in a proclamation by the Montgomery County Council on Sept. 26, 2021, the exhibit “reminds us of our responsibility to understand our history and to work to repair and heal the damage of the past by acting in the present."
For more information, contact Rachel Rappaport at rachel.rappaport@montgomerycountymd.gov or the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project at mocolynchingmemorial@gmail.com
