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 Glen Echo Park Civil Rights Protest - Glen Echo, Maryland Posted by:  Hikenutty
N 38° 57.979 W 077° 08.343
18S E 314678 N 4315215
This historic marker is located in the ranger's office of Glen Echo park. It tells of the protest staged on June 30, 1960 regarding the segregation of the popular amusement park, Glen Echo Park.
Waymark Code: WM434Z
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 06/30/2008
Views: 43
The text reads as follows:
On June 30, 1960, African-Americans Gwendolyn Greene, William Griffin, Michael Proctor, Marvous Saunders, and Cecil Washington, Jr., were arrested when they attempted to ride Glen Echo Amusement Park's Dentzel carousel and were charged with trespassing on private property. They, along with other activists of the local college-based N.A.G. ("Non-Violent Student Action Group") were protesting against the longstanding segregation policies of the privately owned amusement park.
A summer long picketing campaign followed the arrests, involving hundreds of area citizens of all ages and backgrounds. The neighboring community of Bannockurn joined the picketing and provided particularly strong support. The protesters were finally successful when the park opened on a fully integrated basis on March 30, 1961.
Dedicated April 26, 2008
The park is now managed by the National Park Service and is part of the George Washington National Memorial Parkway. It is operated as an center for the arts now, and several of the historic buildings have been restored, including the Dentzel carousel mentioned on the plaque.
Civil Right Type: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.
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