CAMBRIDGE, Md.- Cambridge marked its role in the Civil Rights Movement as Mayor Lajan Cephas-Bey issued a proclamation during a recent City Council meeting.
Officials say the proclamation highlights Cambridge’s national significance in the fight for civil rights, honoring the leadership of Gloria Richardson and the Cambridge Movement while reaffirming the city’s goal for equal access, opportunity and human respect. The move is especially relevant during Black History Month.
Holding the new proclamation are Mayor Lajan Cephas-Bey with Commissioners Frank Stout, Brian Roche, Shay Lewis-Sisco and Brent Summers. Courtesy of the City of Cambridge.
According to the proclamation, Cambridge’s civil rights story is deeply connected to its Black history and the broader American struggle for equality.
A central focus of the proclamation is the 1963 Treaty of Cambridge, a set of commitments negotiated during a tense period marked by months of civil rights protests. According to officials, the agreement involved local Black leaders, city and state leadership, and federal representatives, including U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, with assistance from the United States Department of Justice.
As outlined in the proclamation, the treaty addressed issues such as public accommodations, employment opportunities, education and housing, and sought to reduce segregation and discrimination in Cambridge. While some measures were implemented, others faced significant opposition, leading to continued unrest in the city during the 1960s.
The proclamation also references a 1963 charter amendment passed by Cambridge leadership that aimed to prohibit discrimination in places of public accommodation. That amendment was later challenged through a referendum and did not pass, outlining the resistance faced by civil rights advocates at the time.
City leaders said the proclamation serves both as recognition of past struggles and as a renewed pledge to uphold fairness and access for everyone who lives in or visits Cambridge.