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District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0011

District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0011 Compare Versions

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1- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
2-1
3-
4-
5-
6-A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
7-
8-25-11
9-
10-IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11-
12-February 7, 2023
13-
14-
15-To recognize and honor the Mount Zion- Female Union Band Society Cemeteries as sacred sites of
16- national significance as they celebrate their 215th anniversary in February 2023.
17-
18- WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries date back to the month of
19-February 1808, when the Dumbarton Street M.E. Church purchased the Old Methodist Episcopal burial
20-ground;
21-
22- WHEREAS, t he church’s congregation at that time was 50% black and was a mix of both freed
23-and enslaved persons;
24-
25- WHEREAS, in 1816, black members of the church separated and created Mount Zion Methodist
26-Church;
27-
28- WHEREAS, in 183 2, a group of free black women created a society, the Female Union Band
29-Society, that pledged to care for one another “in sickness and in death”;
30-
31- WHEREAS, in 1842, t he Society purchased a plot of land adjacent to the Old Methodist
32-Episcopal burial ground and established a secular burial ground for African- Americans;
33-
34- WHEREAS, the tiny 8 -by-8-foot cemetery holding vault served as a temporary stop for slaves
35-during their journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad;
36-
37- WHEREAS, in 1879, Mount Zion Methodist Church leased the burial site from Dumbarton Street
38-M.E.;
39-
40- WHEREAS, around 8,000- 10,000 people are estimated to be buried in the 2 plots known as the
41-Mount Zion- Female Union Band Society Cemeteries;
42-
43- WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Band Union Cemeteries have survived and remain the
44-oldest remaining African-American c emeteries in Georgetown and greater Washington, D.C.; and,
45-
46- WHEREAS, t he Cemeteries were added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in
47-1975 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
48-
49- RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, T hat this resolution
50-may be cited as the “The Mount Zion- Female Union Band Cemeteries Ceremonial Resolution of 2023”. ENROLLED ORIGINAL
51-2
52-
53-
54-
55-Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the Mount Zion- Female Union Band
56-Society Cemeteries as priceless parts of our city’s heritage and power illustrations of resilience, sacrifice
57-and community during a time of profound segregation.
58-
59- Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
1+___________________________ ______________________________ 1
2+Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Anita Bonds 2
3+ 3
4+ 4
5+___________________________ ______________________________ 5
6+Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
7+ 7
8+ 8
9+___________________________ ______________________________ 9
10+Councilmember Vincent C. Gray Councilmember Christina Henderson 10
11+ 11
12+ 12
13+___________________________ ______________________________ 13
14+Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 14
15+ 15
16+ 16
17+___________________________ ______________________________ 17
18+Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Brooke Pinto 18
19+ 19
20+ 20
21+___________________________ ___________________________ 21
22+Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 22
23+ 23
24+ 24
25+___________________________ 25
26+Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. 26
27+ 27
28+ 28
29+ 29
30+A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 30
31+ 31
32+_________ 32
33+ 33
34+ 34
35+IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 35
36+ 36
37+_________ 37
38+ 38
39+ 39
40+To recognize and honor the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries as sacred sites of 40
41+ national significance as they celebrate their 215th anniversary in February 2023. 41
42+ 42
43+ WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries date back to the month of 43
44+February 1808, when the Dumbarton Street M.E. Church purchased the Old Methodist Episcopal burial 44
45+ground; 45
46+ 46
47+ WHEREAS, the church’s congregation at that time was 50% black and was a mix of both freed 47
48+and enslaved persons; 48 49
49+ WHEREAS, in 1816, black members of the church separated and created Mount Zion Methodist 50
50+Church; 51
51+ 52
52+ WHEREAS, in 1832, a group of free black women created a society, the Female Union Band 53
53+Society, that pledged to care for one another “in sickness and in death”; 54
54+ 55
55+ WHEREAS, in 1842, the Society purchased a plot of land adjacent to the Old Methodist 56
56+Episcopal burial ground and established a secular burial ground for African-Americans; 57
57+ 58
58+ WHEREAS, the tiny 8-by-8-foot cemetery holding vault served as a temporary stop for slaves 59
59+during their journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad; 60
60+ 61
61+ WHEREAS, in 1879, Mount Zion Methodist Church leased the burial site from Dumbarton Street 62
62+M.E.; 63
63+ 64
64+ WHEREAS, around 8,000-10,000 people are estimated to be buried in the two plots known as the 65
65+Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Cemeteries; 66
66+ 67
67+ WHEREAS, the Mount Zion-Female Band Union Cemeteries have survived and remain the 68
68+oldest remaining African-American cemeteries in Georgetown and greater Washington, D.C.; and, 69
69+ 70
70+ WHEREAS, the Cemeteries were added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 71
71+1975 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. 72
72+ 73
73+ RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this resolution 74
74+may be cited as the “The Mount Zion-Female Union Band Cemeteries Ceremonial Resolution of 2023”. 75
75+ 76
76+ Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the Mount Zion-Female Union Band 77
77+Society Cemeteries as priceless parts of our city’s heritage and power illustrations of resilience, sacrifice 78
78+and community during a time of profound segregation. 79
79+ 80
80+ Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the 81
81+District of Columbia Register. 82