Event Honors Life and Legacy of Thomas Juricks, Prince George’s County’s First Documented Lynching Victim
Prince George’s County Council Member Jolene Ivey (District 5) encourages residents to join a “Community Remembrance” event honoring Thomas Juricks on Saturday, April 15, 2023, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Harmony Hall Arts Center, 10701 Livingston Road in Fort Washington. The event is co-sponsored by the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project and the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation.
The lynching in 1869 of Thomas Juricks, a Black laborer and farmhand who lived with his family in the Piscataway area near Fort Washington, is the first documented lynching in Prince George’s County. Mr. Juricks was murdered without the authorization of the judicial system, by a White masked mob on October 12, 1869. No one was held criminally responsible for his death.
“While the story of Thomas Juricks is a painful part of Prince George’s County’s history, his story is one that deserves to be told and demands our full attention,” said Council Member Ivey, a member of the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project. “As we honor the life that was tragically taken, it is my hope that our time of reflection will be used as a springboard into even greater levels of service and commitment to the pursuit of racial justice in Prince George’s County.”
The Community Remembrance event will include a historical narrative of Thomas Juricks’ life and tragic lynching, and a long overdue send-off, to acknowledge and honor him through a libation ceremony, soil collection, music, poetry, and dance. Opportunities will be provided for the community to reflect on his life and gain a fuller understanding of how this history of sanctioned violence reverberates into present-day issues, including but not limited to, white supremacy, mass incarceration and educational disparities among the races.
This event is free and open to the public; however, space is limited. Registration is encouraged, but not required. To register, visit https://bit.ly/TJuricks2023
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