Black History Month #12 - Desegregating Greenbelt
- Megan Searing Young
- Feb 12, 2021
- 1 min read
Did you know that Greenbelt began as a segregated community? Despite the fact that it was built by both Black and white relief workers, only white families would be accepted as residents when it first opened and it would remain segregated for several decades after its founding in 1937. Join the Greenbelt Museum to learn about the community’s first residents of color. Please note this program is a pre-recorded interview with one of the first families of color to move into Greenbelt in the late 1960s. The other family with whom we had hoped to speak is unable to participate because of health issues. We plan to do another interview in the future. Registration is not required, but if you register, you will be sent a link to the recorded interview when it goes live on YouTube at 7pm on February 25th. To register click here.
The Museum is co-sponsoring this event with the Greenbelt Black History and Culture Committee For the full listing of City sponsored events in February, please see below or click here.
This is an important and often overlooked part of Greenbelt’s history. Learning directly from one of the first families of color adds a powerful personal perspective to the broader story of segregation and change in the community. Thanks to the Greenbelt Museum and the Black History and Culture Committee for preserving and sharing these voices. Discussions like this also remind me how history and storytelling can spark meaningful conversations in unexpected places—even in online spaces like Skribbl io where people connect and share ideas beyond just games.
You've touched on a historical issue that many people easily overlook. Recording Among Us Online accounts of Black families makes the information more concrete and understandable. You're not just reading about the events, but also seeing their consequences.