Meet the Descendants

“I had no idea that my family had been in this area for so long. In my lifetime, the family has been divided and disconnected. One could not imagine that there was a time when they forged a very strong bond … The knowledge that such people were in your family inspires generations.”

“[T]here are millions of people that were robbed of their properties, and it’s still going on today. You know, I just can't think about just one person. It can't be about just me. It’s about millions of us, constantly being robbed by (white people).”

“African Americans are the only race in this country that don’t have a home. We don't have land. And people are saying, ‘Well, go back to Africa.’ Well, that's all well and good. And I'm definitely claiming my African heritage. But I would also like to be able to claim my American heritage too, and have a space that's mine, just like everybody else can have a space.”

“When my grandmother got older, the only one place that she asked to go (back to visit) was Chevy Chase. The only one place out of all of the places that she ever lived, and all of her experiences traveling and whatnot, Chevy Chase was the one place she asked to go back home to.”

“It (the wealth in the land) could have been trickled down. . .We could have had so much more (today). … But my grandmother didn’t have a lot…when you’re a homeowner you have more of a sense of a – you know, a sense of (pride of possession in the land). Because it’s something – it’s yours, it’s your property. You know, and nobody can take it from you.”

“Let the people hear the story. Not any one of us desires to move to Chevy Chase. Let the residents enjoy the park…. I care about changing the mindset of people about who was ruined in the African American community (and to) … correct the wrongs done with support such as mentorship, quality education, tutoring services, guidance and support for single parents.”

“When I said I planned to go to college, (family members who had low expectations) said, ‘College? You’re not that smart!’ So, that was the mindset. You had to be really, really smart to go to college. That just didn’t happen with Black folks.”