For the majority of the twentieth century, private and public sectors channeled and influenced development of the county based on race and ethnicity. Montgomery Planning built a mapping tool that illustrated historic patterns of segregation in the Downcounty Planning Area by recording racial restrictive covenants in the land records. This presentation discusses the conclusions of our analysis, how de facto and de jure segregation limited opportunities for people of color, and the efforts by the Black community, local activists, and organizations to open the suburbs.

The speaker, John Liebertz, is a Cultural Resources Planner with the Historic Preservation Office, Montgomery Planning, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Mary Washington and a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Kentucky. He previously worked as a Lead Historic Preservation Specialist for EHT Traceries, Inc., a research and consulting firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in architectural history and historic preservation, and as a Principal Planner in Arlington County, Virginia. He worked on several projects including a Historic Structures Report for The President’s Guest House (Blair House), Cultural Landscape Documentation for the Millennium Project at Arlington National Cemetery and authored the Guide to African American Heritage in Arlington County (2016). Since joining Montgomery Planning in 2019, Mr. Liebertz has designated a number of historic resources at the local level and leads a multi-disciplinary team documenting racial restrictive covenants in Montgomery County.