Special Event Summary | “Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point”: The Fight to Overcome Segregation in the Nation’s Capital
Earlier this month, the Meyer Foundation was honored to host an intimate gathering of local community and philanthropy partners for a special event titled, “Nothing Would be More Tragic Than to Stop at This Point: The Fight to Overcome Segregation in the Nation’s Capital,” featuring George Derek Musgrove, associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital.
Taking the event title’s name from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, delivered to striking Memphis sanitation workers on April 3, 1968, Musgrove posited that although we often think of segregation as being over — and legally it is — the effects of segregation are not.
Through his talk, Musgrove reminded the audience of the ways in the which D.C. has been progressive — even dismantling the legal framework of segregation years before Brown vs. Board of Education, and yet the District has not been able to materially change the purpose of these laws — to end the unequal treatment of people based upon their race.
This event served as a reminder of why the Foundation pursues the partnerships and projects that it does. We know that work toward racial justice is long term and we will keep pressing forward, rooted in our values.
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. We hope you will consider joining us for future learning opportunities and community discussions! Subscribe to our newsletter for information on future events hosted by the Meyer Foundation.
