Three Montgomery County sisters who were recently featured in Essence Magazine say they are working to reclaim land in Potomac once owned by their great-great-grandfather, William Dove, a formerly enslaved man who purchased 36 acres in the late 1800s. According to a press release announcing their efforts, much of that land was later taken from the family through discriminatory practices and eminent domain.
According to a press release announcing their efforts, much of that land was later taken from the family through discriminatory practices and eminent domain. The sisters, LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, Teresa Gasaway-Gleaton, and LaTrice Gasaway-Johnson, say they hope to recover the land and develop affordable housing for descendants of displaced Black families. Their family has longstanding ties to Scotland, a historic Black community in Potomac, and they say the project is intended to support residents connected to the area’s early settlement by formerly enslaved people.
The three operate what they describe as the largest Black-owned childcare business in Montgomery County and are organizers of a large Juneteenth festival that has drawn thousands of attendees in recent years. They say that financial stability from their business has helped them pursue land reclamation and reinvest in Scotland, where members of their family have lived for five generations…