Allegany County Maryland--History

Organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam (founded in 1930), the Million Man March was held on October 16, 1995 in Washington, DC. Its purpose was to encourage black men to seek atonement and reconciliation, and to take responsibility for their own lives and actions. Estimates of attendance range from 600,000 to 1,000,000 people. Additional "Million Man" related marches include the Million Woman March which was held in Philadelphia on October 25, 1997, the 2000 Million Family March which was held in Washington D.C.

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942. It was CORE which organized the Freedom Rides of 1961. Over 1000 Freedom Riders, both black and white volunteers, traveled throughout the South attempting to peacefully confront and protest via sit-ins and other non-violent actions the segregation and unequal accommodations in the South, primarily at restaurants, lunch counters, restrooms, and motels.

The Poor People's Campaign was organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC). Its primary goal was to address issues of economic justice for the nation's poor. The Campaign originated in Mississippi and was to culminate in a major march in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, but the campaign continued under the leadership of the Reverend Ralph David Abernathy who also assumed the presidency of the SCLC.

These buttons are also from the late 1960s and very early 1970s. Individuals included on these buttons include Eldridge Cleaver, Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, and Huey Newton.

These Black Panther buttons are from the late 1960s and very early 1970s. Individuals identified on these particular buttons include Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. The Black Panther Party (for Self Defense) was founded in Oakland, California in 1966. It was seen as an alternative to the non-violent civil rights movement. The Black Panthers believed that blacks should arm themselves in a liberation struggle and would early on experience several violent confrontations with the police.

The August 28, 1963 March on Washington was estimated at 250,000 people. This march put the struggle for civil rights at the top of the American agenda and helped create the demand for passage of the civil rights bill which had already been introduced.

Jean Beckward celebrates 30 years
27-year member of Historic Highlands Association of Realtors Million Dollar Club

June 5, 2004

CUMBERLAND –

City Playground Royalty

Miss Donna Stumbaugh (center), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Stumbaugh, Reynolds Street, last night was named City Playground Queen for 1956. Runners-up were Miss Carol Jean Decker, of Ridgedale play lot, left, and Miss Tanya Darr, of Carver play lot.

Tanya Ley Darr graduated from Allegany High School in 1960 in the Commercial course of study.

Portrayed here is the family of John Dorsey. The Dorseys were also related to the Biggs family, whose Sonny Biggs is also in the photograph. John Dorsey was an avid hunter and the owner of Dorsey's Chicken Shack on Pine Avenue.

Tommy Lee and Bobby Cleggett

Shaking hands in this photograph are, on the left, Tommy Lee, while on the right is Bobby Cleggett. Robert W. "Bob" Cleggett, Sr. was born in 1941, was a graduate of Fort Hill High School, and passed away in 2005.

Tommy Lee's father was Major Thomas Lee, a well-known area musician who is depicted playing the piano elsewhere on this website. His grandfather was Major T. Lee who was the subject of the following excerpt from Cumberland, Maryland Through the Eyes of Herman Miller: