THREE SISTERS. ONE COMMUNITY. FIVE GENERATIONS.

The Gasaway Sisters are dedicated to preserving the heritage of Scotland, empowering families through education, and strengthening community across Montgomery County. Rooted in legacy and driven by purpose, they work to ensure that Black history, stories, and ties to ancestral land remain alive for generations to come.

Through their children's book, educational programs, and community initiatives, the sisters create meaningful connections between past and present. They believe that when families understand where they come from, they're better equipped to shape where they're going. Every story shared, every lesson taught, and every gathering held strengthens the foundation for future generations to build upon.

Scotland Community

Founded in 1880 when formerly enslaved farm worker William Dove became the first Black man to own land in Potomac, Maryland, the Scotland Community emerged as a thriving enclave of over 500 acres during the Reconstruction era. Alongside families like the Harrises and Masons, the Doves built a legacy of Black land ownership that spanned generations.

However, by the late 1960s, racism, gentrification, and discriminatory practices threatened the community's survival, prompting the successful "Save Our Scotland" campaign that made the community the first recipient of funding under the expanded Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965. Today, William Dove's great-great-granddaughters-the Gasaway sisters-carry forward his vision through their leadership of Montgomery County's largest Black-owned childcare business and the region's largest Juneteenth festival.

Their most ambitious undertaking is reclaiming land that once belonged to their ancestor, with plans to build affordable housing for displaced descendants, transforming their family's story of dispossession into a blueprint for restoration and ensuring that Scotland remains a place where Black families can build equity and permanence for generations to come.