The Mount Hope Commission
The Town of Cheverly, like the nation, experienced an inflection moment in 2019 that was punctuated by the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. National and global protests demanded that we take a hard look at ourselves, our communities, and the messages we project both near and far. We were each called to align our words, and more importantly, our actions with the values we embrace.
Removing the Mount Hope Plantation as the symbol on the Cheverly town flag and seal was our community’s call to action. It was agreed that a banner bearing a symbol that expressed and reinforced white supremacy and the institution of slavery, was not representative of who we are as a community or of our individual and collective stories.
“While [the murder of George Floyd] changed the world at large, the tragedy was a stark reminder, specifically for Black Americans, of the deep systemic realities underlying black life. While that was not necessarily new information, it brought about a renewed call for action.” — Cedric Richmond, former member of Congress from Louisiana.
In late 2019, Kayce Munyeneh (then Ward 4 Councilmember and future Cheverly Mayor) and former Ward 2 Councilmember Dana Hallman, both descendants of slaves, met with the Mount Hope homeowners Dale Manty and Elizabeth Tuckermanty to discuss removing the home from the town seal and flag. All agreed that it was the right thing to do. Elizabeth presented the request at a meeting of the Town Council. In May of 2020, through the leadership of then Councilmember Munyeneh, the Cheverly Town Council voted to unanimously remove the home from the seal.
The removal of the Town’s signage bearing the symbol was facilitated by the Town’s first Black Administrator, Dylan Galloway. The change was as historic as it was symbolic and was the first mindful and deliberate action taken to begin reckoning with our town’s past. It was a step taken to mindfully create a community where all are embraced and no one experiences discrimination, a community that is hopeful and lifts itself and others up.
The name, Mount Hope, now embodies a new meaning that is being manifested through the work of the Mount Hope Commission (MHC). The MHC was formed to ensure that this important symbolic gesture was followed by thoughtful and sustainable positive change. The MHC’s mission is to facilitate community healing and reconciliation through uncovering, sharing, and discussing the history of the indigenous peoples who first inhabited the land that is now the Town of Cheverly, the story of Mount Hope and the individuals who were enslaved there, and the stories of those impacted by the Town’s segregationist history and discriminatory practices. Through addressing past and present pain, reconciliation can begin, and the hope of an inclusive community that embraces all Cheverly residents can be realized.
The MHC envisions a community in which all are embraced. Our vision is a community that is hopeful and lifts itself and others up by providing fair and equal opportunities for engagement. We hope that our realized vision will inspire other communities to take this same journey.