City Surprises Advisory Groups and Community Leaders With Back Room Report

                                                                          November 11, 2013

Dear Director Mallamo/ Lance,

Thank you for your note of October 31, 2013.  It’s been sometime since we communicated and your note was a bit troubling in it’s news, tone and accuracy of content.  

Your announcement of a presentation of the draft of the Fort Ward history report came as a surprise to us.  Given our role as Co-Chairs of the Fort Ward History Work Group we were completely by the public announcement.  Our understanding is that the City of Alexandria is working in cooperation with community organizations through the Fort Ward History Work Group and the Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group.  The announcement seems to fall short in terms of civic engagement practices, respect for the descendants of the Fort Ward families, and the intent of the City Council’s resolutions for work at Fort Ward Park.

More specifically we are baffled by your logic in announcing this report and it’s public release without first notifying the Advisory Group or the History Work Group, not to mention the descendant families, and affording us an opportunity to  to have input into the selection of the author you used, see the draft report before its release;  and have input on the location of the meeting,  Each of these decisions seem to reflect a disregard for the community you serve and the organizations that have been assisting your office with the work at the Fort.

Although we can’t comment on the report since it is not available until its release on the 16th we believe that your choice of the author and meeting location is not helpful in gaining support from all of the community for whatever is to be achieved.   An author with more experience working with African American history and a meeting location closer to the descendants, and more neutral, would serve everyone’s interests much more than the plan you selected.

The fact that Ms. Moon did not contact members of the descendants families or the Fort Ward HIstory Work Group does not reflect well on her research or professional practices.  Since this event reflects poorly on the Fort Ward effort we believe that the meeting should be postponed and re-scheduled at a location close to the Fort, after the descendants, HIstory Work Group members and the Advisory Group members are briefed and provided an advance copy of the report.

This most recent action by your office reflects disrespect you have shown on other occasions to the African American community.  The latest action, as well as earlier written and verbal statements you have made about the search for Fort Ward’s lost graves and oral history interviews has seriously eroded your creditability and support for the Fort Ward effort.  In many ways your actions appear to want to take the decision-making process at Fort Ward back to the status-quo of the past.  Although the community values what you have done they also are well aware that the preservation and interpretation actions that have occurred at Fort Ward Park have been a joint effort between citizen, non-government groups and government experts.  Unilateral press releases and derogatory comments about the “fuzzy” memories of descendant family members come across as contrary to what the Mayor and City Council called for in directions for the work at Fort Ward Park.

We were a bit surprised at your comments about the activities of the Fort Ward HIstory Work Group.  As a volunteer, community-led organization, recognized by the City of Alexandria, we do not believe that we are in “a period of stagnation”.  We realize that you have had other priorities and lost key staff members which have made it difficult for you to attend, or be represented, at various meetings and events held by this work group.  It also appears that you may not have been briefed by some of the staff that have attended meetings that you were unable to attend.

Attached is a outline of Fort Ward History Work Group Activities for 2012 and 2013.  We continue to work on the tasks that we discussed with you and your staff.  Some meetings have been cancelled due to family deaths.  However, we have been active and inclusive in our outreach, research and events.  We are willing to talk with you about your ideas for future meetings.  However, it is premature to focus a meeting in the near future to discuss the Fort Ward History report until we see it’s content.

We hope that you will work cooperatively, in a more open, honest and professional manner, with the Fort Ward HIstory Work Group.  Members of the group stand ready to continue to be supportive of the City’s efforts if the work of your office reflects the commitments and statements you have made.

Please let us know if there is a convenient time to discuss your renewed interest in the work group.

Sincerely,

Glenn

1. Glenn Eugster

Adrienne

Adrienne Terrell Washington

Co-Chairs, Fort Ward History Work Group