BOE Spotlight on Black History Month

Episode 4: Reclaiming Home

Reclaiming Home explores the history, resilience, and legacy of Black communities in Montgomery County, Maryland. Through interviews with Emory Grove residents, members of the Quince Orchard community legacy, local leaders, and Montgomery County Public Schools leadership, this episode examines how formerly enslaved families built thriving kinship communities after the Civil War and how urban renewal, segregation, and social change reshaped them. From stories of self-sufficient neighborhoods and beloved schools to the lasting impact of integration and remembrance efforts, Reclaiming Home highlights the power of memory, education, and unity in preserving local Black history. This is a story about resilience, community, and carrying history forward for the next generation.

Episode 3: Leading for the Future

As MCPS continues celebrating Black History Month, the Board of Education presents this Leading for the Future video featuring Monique Ashton, the first Black Latina woman to serve as Mayor of Rockville. In this special, Ashton reflects on leadership, representation and the responsibility of opening doors for others. She discusses what it means to lead with courage and purpose.

Episode 2: The Making of a Legacy

The Making of a Legacy honors the strength, excellence, and enduring influence of Black education in Montgomery County. This episode highlights the powerful legacy of Carver High School, a cornerstone of pride, achievement, and community for generations of students. Through the voices of former Carver students and Montgomery County Public Schools alumni who experienced desegregation firsthand, we reflect on a transformative period in our history. As integration reshaped education, students carried with them the values, expectations, and unity formed within their community schools, navigating change, challenge, and opportunity along the way. Presented by the Montgomery County Board of Education, this Black History Month feature recognizes the students who lived this history and whose experiences continue to shape the story of education in Montgomery County.

Episode 1: Echoes of the Ancestors

During Black History Month, the Board of Education is proud to open this month by honoring the power, resilience and enduring legacy of Black history in Montgomery County. Learning, leadership and community first came together at Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church in Potomac. Built by freed slaves and their descendants and opened in 1924, this space became a foundation for education, support and opportunity long before a formal school existed.

Board of Education Vice President Brenda Wolff reflects on Black History Month and the legacy of Black excellence.

Watch the video: English | Spanish