Glen Echo in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, May 7, 2010
1. Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest Marker
Inscription.
Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest. . On June 30, 1960 African Americans Gwendolyn Greene (Britt), William Griffin, Michael Proctor, Marvous Saunders and Cecil Washington Jr. were arrested when they attempted to ride Glen Echo Park's Dentzel Carousel and were charged with trespassing on private property. Part of a college-based civil rights group called the Non-violent Action Group (N. A. G.), the five sit-in demonstrators were protesting the long-standing segregation policies of the privately-owned amusement park. A summer-long picketing campaign followed the arrests. The campaign involved citizens of all ages and backgrounds. The neighboring community of Bannockburn joined the picketing and provided particularly strong support. The protestors achieved success when the park opened on a fully-integrated basis on March 31, 1961.
On June 30, 1960 African Americans Gwendolyn Greene (Britt), William Griffin, Michael Proctor, Marvous Saunders and Cecil Washington Jr. were arrested when they attempted to ride Glen Echo Park's Dentzel Carousel and were charged with trespassing on private property. Part of a college-based civil rights group called the Non-violent Action Group (N. A. G.), the five sit-in demonstrators were protesting the long-standing segregation policies of the privately-owned amusement park.
A summer-long picketing campaign followed the arrests. The campaign involved citizens of all ages and backgrounds. The neighboring community of Bannockburn joined the picketing and provided particularly strong support. The protestors achieved success when the park opened on a fully-integrated basis on March 31, 1961.
Erected 2008 by National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Montgomery County, Maryland.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Entertainment. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1961.
Location. 38° 57.974′ N, 77° 8.318′ W. Marker is in Glen Echo, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from MacArthur Boulevard 0.2 miles south of Goldsboro Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo MD 20812, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
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At least 6 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1921 (here, next to this marker); Glen Echo Park (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Glen Echo Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Glen Echo Park: Arcade (within shouting distance of this marker); c. 1931 (within shouting distance of this marker); Glen Echo Park: Protest Years 1960 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Glen Echo.
Other markers no longer nearby. Glen Echo From Past to Present (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named 1921 (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Glen Echo's Art Deco Arcade (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Roller Coasters of Glen Echo Amusement Park (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Changing Face of Glen Echo (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Glen Echo Parks Crystal Pool (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); c. 1926
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, May 7, 2010
2. Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest Marker
(was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Trolley Parks In America (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); A Trolley Returns to Glen Echo (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); The Glen Echo Park Yurts (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2011
3. Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2010, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,670 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2010, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. 3. submitted on July 19, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
