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Groups urge $150,000 for African American historical markers; Montgomery College and arts advocates seek facility investment
Summary
Speakers including Anita Neal Powell and Crystal Holland Davis urged the council to approve $150,000 to install up to 40 African American historical markers countywide; Montgomery College alumni and arts leaders also pressed for renovation funding for theater and performing‑arts facilities.
Community leaders and nonprofit representatives urged the Montgomery County Council on Feb. 9 to allocate funding for historical markers and college arts facilities.
Anita Neal Powell, president of the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation, and Crystal Holland Davis, executive director of the Potomac Community Foundation, asked the council to approve $150,000 in the FY27 capital budget and FY27–32 CIP to research, identify and install up to 40 African American historical markers across the seven council districts. Powell described the project as a continuation of work begun in 2016 to document and commemorate historically Black communities and said markers can "tell the truth" about community histories.
Montgomery College advocates including Miami Gold and Kyle De Castro urged council support for renovation of the Theater Arts Building at the Rockville campus and for continued funding for Montgomery College facilities more broadly. De Castro cited a $96 million estimated total cost for a performing‑arts renovation and requested $8.4 million for design.
Speakers framed the heritage‑markers ask as modest in dollars but large in symbolic and educational value and noted coordination with state transportation authorities may be required for markers along roadways. The council took no immediate action; testimony will inform CIP deliberations and any follow‑up budget language.
