Remembering Mr. George W. Peck
- Derrick C. Tabor
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Laying a wreath
Two dozen people braved a driving rain on January 10 to attend a remembrance program for Mr. George W. Peck at Poolesville Presbyterian Church. Mr. Peck was lynched across from the church on that date in 1880.
Pastor Chuck Copeland, Hosanna Community Church, welcomed the attendees and thanked Pastor David for opening his church for the ceremony. Derrick C. Tabor, MoCoLMP Steering Committee member, provided a reading of "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Moving remarks were then provided by the following Poolesville area speakers: Town Commissioner Ed Reed, Neile Whitney, MoCoLMP Steering Committee, and Pastor Chuck.
Commissioner Reed’s reflections addressed the significance of honoring Mr. Peck and the need for collective and individual responsibility to call out injustice regardless of the race to whom the injustice was done. He considered honoring Mr. Peck “significant because there was an injustice that needed to be called out.” He elaborated upon how change can come about through the actions of an individual, “Change can be initiated when quiet people realize they have a voice within them that can awake the clueless.” In closing, he acknowledged, to great applause, that “Poolesville today is not the same as yesterday’s Poolesville."
Neile Whitney urged the local community to consider next steps towards racial reconciliation. “Can we make an effort above and beyond what the school system is doing, to make sure our students understand the history of racism in
our town and county? Can we invite Black elders into our schools and
to the library or the old or new town hall to tell the stories of their
lives? ...Can we have regular conversations as a community about our history of racism and about how to consciously create a loving, just, inclusive community here in Poolesville – the Beloved Community referred to by Martin Luther King, Jr.?”
In his reflections, Pastor Chuck reminded the attendees why we came together: “In the name of love, we are here and we must remember George Washington Peck.” His reflections resonated with several themes of MoCoLMP, such as resisting by remembering, truth telling, and reconciliation. “It is only right that we stand here today to resist by remembering,” he said. On truth telling, he spoke to the challenges we are facing in the United States and about his personal conviction: “I will not be silenced by the cowards who want to use their power to put a stop to truth telling.” In closing, he shared his belief that “[Mr. Peck] did not die in vain; his shed blood continues to water the tree of truth, and reconciliation requires truth,” and he ended with an invitation -- a call to action -“let’s get to work!”
The program ended outside with the laying of a large wreath of white flowers by the historical marker to Mr. Peck and a prayer by Pastor Chuck.