___________________________ ______________________________ 1
Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Anita Bonds 2
3
4
___________________________ ______________________________ 5
Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
7
8
___________________________ ______________________________ 9
Councilmember Vincent C. Gray Councilmember Christina Henderson 10
11
12
___________________________ ______________________________ 13
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 14
15
16
___________________________ ______________________________ 17
Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Brooke Pinto 18
19
20
___________________________ ___________________________ 21
Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 22
23
24
___________________________ 25
Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. 26
27
28
29
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 30
31
_________ 32
33
34
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 35
36
_________ 37
38
39
To recognize and honor the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries as sacred sites of 40
national significance as they celebrate their 215th anniversary in February 2023. 41
42
WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries date back to the month of 43
February 1808, when the Dumbarton Street M.E. Church purchased the Old Methodist Episcopal burial 44
ground; 45
46
WHEREAS, the church’s congregation at that time was 50% black and was a mix of both freed 47
and enslaved persons; 48 49
WHEREAS, in 1816, black members of the church separated and created Mount Zion Methodist 50
Church; 51
52
WHEREAS, in 1832, a group of free black women created a society, the Female Union Band 53
Society, that pledged to care for one another “in sickness and in death”; 54
55
WHEREAS, in 1842, the Society purchased a plot of land adjacent to the Old Methodist 56
Episcopal burial ground and established a secular burial ground for African-Americans; 57
58
WHEREAS, the tiny 8-by-8-foot cemetery holding vault served as a temporary stop for slaves 59
during their journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad; 60
61
WHEREAS, in 1879, Mount Zion Methodist Church leased the burial site from Dumbarton Street 62
M.E.; 63
64
WHEREAS, around 8,000-10,000 people are estimated to be buried in the two plots known as the 65
Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries; 66
67
WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Band Union Cemeteries have survived and remain the 68
oldest remaining African-American cemeteries in Georgetown and greater Washington, D.C.; and, 69
70
WHEREAS, the Cemeteries were added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 71
1975 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. 72
73
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this resolution 74
may be cited as the “The Mount Zion-Female Union Band Cemeteries Ceremonial Resolution of 2023”. 75
76
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the Mount Zion-Female Union Band 77
Society Cemeteries as priceless parts of our city’s heritage and power illustrations of resilience, sacrifice 78
and community during a time of profound segregation. 79
80
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the 81
District of Columbia Register. 82