November 17, 2025
Descendants of William Dove, the Gasaway sisters, are building economic power, community coalitions, and a vision for affordable housing on the land.
In the late 19th century, William Dove—a man born into slavery—made an extraordinary investment in his family’s future when he purchased 36 acres in what is now Potomac, Maryland, for $210. Though Dove never lived to see the lasting impact of that choice, his descendants grew up understanding its meaning. Over time, that land was stripped away through eminent domain and the discriminatory systems routinely used to dispossess Black landowners. By the time Dove’s great-great-granddaughters were born, every acre had been absorbed by Montgomery County and private developers.
In an interview with Essence, LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, Teresa Gasaway-Gleaton, and LaTrice Gasaway-Johnson, known locally as the Gasaway sisters, were raised on those stories. “I could hear the pain in her voice,” LaTisha recalls of their grandmother’s retellings. “But I also heard something else: determination. She made us promise we wouldn’t forget.” They kept that promise—and turned it into a mission.
Today, the sisters operate Montgomery County’s largest Black-owned childcare company and host the region’s biggest Juneteenth festival, which has drawn thousands since 2021. Their most ambitious effort, however, is a plan to reclaim county-owned parcels that once belonged to Dove and develop affordable homes for families descended from those displaced. It is, they acknowledge, a lofty undertaking. But their approach has been steady and intentional.
Teresa emphasized the strategic power of their business success. “The business has given us something our ancestors didn’t have: economic power,” she said. Revenue from childcare helps fund their Juneteenth festival and supports their long-term fight for the land. “William Dove may have lost his land, but he gave us something more valuable. He showed us that ownership is power.”
That philosophy guides the sisters’ work in Scotland, a historic Black settlement founded by formerly enslaved residents. Dozens of such communities once existed across Montgomery County; many have disappeared entirely. The sisters hope to reverse that cycle of erasure. LaTrice envisions homes where descendants can put down lasting roots. “When I envision that reclaimed land, I see homes,” she says. “This won’t look like every other development. It will look like us.”
Their advocacy has drawn recognition from Montgomery County leaders, Gov. Wes Moore, Congressman Jamie Raskin, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. But progress has demanded years of meetings, planning, and persistence.
“Let me be clear: it isn’t easy, and it isn’t a handout,” Teresa notes. “We’re fighting this fight every single day. But we’re powered by attorneys, architects, and our village, and we’re one step closer.”
Their Juneteenth festival has become central to community mobilization. “When you celebrate together, you build power together,” LaTisha says. Those who gather for music and food often become the same supporters who sign petitions or attend public hearings.
Momentum grew further in 2024 when Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church received a $1 million donation from the Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This year, the sisters brought together more than 10 historic Black communities for what they believe is the first “Kinship Communities Dinner.” The gathering revealed the scale of shared struggles—and the strength in collaboration. One elder told them he had “never seen anything like it.”
For the Gasaway sisters, reclaiming Dove’s land is about more than recovery—it is about rewriting what the future looks like.
“Our great-great-grandfather invested $210 in our future,” LaTisha says. “We’re investing everything—our time, our resources, our very beings—in making sure his investment pays dividends for generations to come.”
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