Stand Up for the Montgomery Way

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS NEWSLETTER - Special Edition

"Together we can accomplish great things!"

County Executive Ike Leggett

Stand Up for the Montgomery Way this Sunday November 20

On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council passed a very important resolution reaffirming Montgomery County's commitment to the Montgomery Way of valuing diversity and ensuring that all our residents are treated with respect and dignity. I have pasted a copy below. Please take a few minutes to read it.

County Executive Leggett is urging all residents to come together on Sunday November 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza to rally behind the values represented in the County Council resolution . I hope you will join us for the National Anthem at 2:30 p.m. and a call to prayer by interfaith leaders followed by brief statements from an All-Star cast that will include County Executive Leggett, Council President Floreen, Police Chief Manger, MCPS Superintendent Smith, Montgomery College President Pollard, and representatives from faith communities, JCRC, CASA de Maryland, and Blair High School. Music will begin at 2 p.m. so come early, have lunch in the downtown, and ensure that you will have a space on the plaza for this inspiring program. It might be a bit chilly so dress warmly. We promise to conclude by 3:30 p.m.

Here's the link to our Stand-up event flyer. Please share this with all your friends on social media and encourage them to attend. This is not a partisan political rally but a reaffirmation of our county's commitment to the Montgomery Way. Make up your own positive posters and raise them high: "We Are One," "Ready to Serve," "Diversity Makes America Great," "Stand Up for the Montgomery Way."

Bruce Adams

Director, Office of Community Partnerships

The full text of Tuesday's County Council resolution (corrected) follows:

SUBJECT: Reaffirming Community Safety and Trust and Denouncing Anti-Immigrant Activity, Racial Bias and Discrimination, Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, and Harassment in Montgomery County

Background

1. Montgomery County's strength is its diversity. People from every corner of the globe come to our County seeking peace, stability, and a better quality of life for their families, and their contributions greatly enrich our community.

2. Montgomery County has the largest population of foreign born residents in the State of Maryland with nearly one-third of our residents coming from other countries.

3. More than 70 percent of students in Montgomery County Public Schools are Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian American, or multi-racial.

4. The County Council affirms the dignity of all County residents and recognizes the importance of their contributions to social, religious, cultural, and economic life.

5. County officials and employees and our entire community have worked diligently to build trust among people of all races, ethnicities, and religions. These efforts make our County a thriving, welcoming community.

6. Montgomery County has a long history of protecting all individual freedoms, and we will continue to protect and defend our people and our progress.

7. All our residents should be free to go about their daily life without fear of hate speech, hate crimes, harassment, or deportation.

8. The Council strongly opposes any federal action that may undermine the trust created in our community and threaten public safety.

9. The Council is committed to ensuring that activity at the federal level will not impact our democratic values or the progress made in our community to protect individual freedoms. Federal authorities must proceed with great caution and respect for the values of our County and the requirements of the Constitution.

Action

The County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland approves the following resolution:

Montgomery County will continue to be a citadel of justice and provide unlimited opportunities for people from all walks of life. The County will continue to be an inclusive and pluralistic community where all people are treated with respect.

Montgomery County believes that no deportations should take place without ensuring that the person to be deported received adequate representation and due process of law under the Constitution. The Montgomery County Police Department will play no role in enforcing federal immigration law. County residents should never be afraid to seek help from our public safety officers.

The Council rejects bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia in any form.

The Council denounces hate speech, hate crimes, and harassment and condemns the recent hate crimes that have occurred in our County.

The Council calls on the County's MC311 system to provide operators and staff with special instructions to assist anyone on how to report and deal with hate crimes and harassment, including information about legal resources and support services. When appropriate, MC311 operators should also transfer calls to the Montgomery County Police Department's non-emergency number and provide information about the Office of Human Rights.