Links Section
In the course of our research, we have become aware of many other black cemetery sites in various stages of preservation. Relatedly, we highlight and appreciate the work of the Black Cemetery Network, founded and directed by Dr. Antoinette Jackson of the University of South Florida. What follows here is a collection of internet resources (videos, articles, websites) on black cemetery sites in various states.
Arkansas
Cypress Grove Cemetery, Monticello, AR
Cypress Grove Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/cypress-grove-cemetery
New Gascony Cemetery, Altheimer, AR
New Gascony:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/new-gascony
Florida
African American Trilby Cemetery, Trilby, FL
African American Cemetery in the woods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5E26ayf2Rw
African Cemetery at Higgs Beach, Key West, FL
Explore Key West’s unique relationship to the Transatlantic Slave Trade:
https://www.africanburialgroundathiggsbeach.org/
Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, Miami, FL
Miami’s historic black cemetery struggles to survive:
Memorial Park Cemetery, Tampa, FL
Memorial Park Cemetery in Tampa, FL:
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2182174/memorial-park-cemetery
Miraflores Park, Pensacola, FL
Graveyard found under building in Florida likely linked to black cemetery:
https://www.yahoo.com/video/graveyard-bigger-anyone-thinks-florida-150000837.html
New Hope Cemetery, Tallahassee, FL
‘Forgotten people’: Florida lawmakers aim to recognize, protect abandoned African-American cemeteries:
North Greenwood Cemetery, Clearwater, FL
North Greenwood Cemetery Project:
https://www.cardno.com/projects/north-greenwood-cemetery-project/
Oakland African American Cemetery, Oakland, FL
West Orange County old historic African American cemetery to be restored with state grant:
Ridgewood Cemetery, Tampa, FL
Florida school built on top of predominantly black cemetery where 145 graves were found:
New memorial renderings unveiled for erased Black cemetery at Tampa’s King High School:
Rose Hill Cemetery, Tampa, FL
The Rose Hill Cemetery Project:
https://www.rosehillcemeteryproject.com/about-the-project
Whispering Souls African American Cemetery, Clearwater, FL
Whispering Souls African American Cemetery:
Woodlawn Cemetery, St. Augustine, FL
Historically black cemeteries in St. Augustine in disrepair:
Zion Cemetery, Tampa, FL
'Thank God you found me': Florida officials unearth a fourth forgotten Black cemetery:
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/20/1065178753/florida-fourth-black-cemetery-discovered
Georgia
Avondale Burial Place, Macon, GA
The Avondale Burial Place and African American Burial Grounds Network:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKx3fgl-kEI
Behavior Cemetery, Sapelo Island, GA
Behavior Cemetery:
http://www.glynngen.com/cemetery/mcintosh/behavior/
Black Cemetery Loss Is a National Crisis:
https://zora.medium.com/black-cemetery-loss-is-a-national-crisis-875adf6b7448
Brooklyn Cemetery, Athens, GA
African American Cemeteries and the Restoration Movement:
https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/cemetery/exhibits/show/brooklyn/african-american-cemeteries-an
Preserving Our Past. Guarding Our Future:
http://www.brooklyncemetery.org/
Mt. Olive Cemetery, Atlanta, GA
The Bittersweet Story of Mt. Olive Cemetery:
https://oaklandcemetery.com/the-bittersweet-story-of-mt-olive-cemetery/
Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA
Restoring Historic Oakland Cemetery’s African American Grounds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oBZAg_8OvI
Illinois
The African American Cemetery of New Philadelphia, New Philadelphia, IL
Separated by Death and Color: The African American Cemetery of New Philadelphia, Illinois:
http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/NP/44-1-10.pdf
Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, IL
Black teen whose death sparked 1919 race riots set to receive grave marker 102 years later:
Mount Forest Cemetery, Thornton, IL
Black cemeteries reflect history of segregation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5k3cyrwSu4
Louisiana
Lutheran Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA
Lutheran Benevolent Society Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/lutheran-benevolent-society-cemetery
Sweet Olive Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA
Worst Cemetery I've Ever Seen!!! Warning Open Graves & Exposed Coffins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgI6EwIPx08
Maryland
Annotated Code of Maryland: Criminal Law Title 10. Crimes Against Public Health, Conduct, and Sensibilities Subtitle 4. Crimes Relating to Human Remains:
https://mht.maryland.gov/documents/PDF/research/Burial_Law.pdf\
Ash Memorial Cemetery, Sandy Spring, MD
'I don't know if they're buried there' | Proposed bill would preserve historic Black cemeteries:
Crownsville Hospital Center Cemetery, Crownsville, MD
Crownsville: Turning a grim site from Maryland's past into a jewel:
https://www.wypr.org/2021-10-07/crownsville-turning-a-grim-site-from-marylands-past-into-a-jewel
Halfway African American Cemetery, Halfway, MD
Friends of Halfway MD African American Cemetery:
https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Halfway-MD-African-American-Cemetery-112014007253336/
Preserving history: volunteers work to restore forgotten historic African American cemetery in Halfway, Md:
Laurel Cemetery, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (BAAHGS):
Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites:
Friend us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/laurel.cemetery.baltimore
H.R. 1179 – African American Burial Grounds Network Act:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1179
Rediscovering the African-American graveyard beneath a Baltimore shopping center:
Malone's Church, Madison, MD
Preservation Maryland Signs-On in Support of African American Burial Ground Legislation:
Moses African Cemetery, Bethesda, MD
Historic Black cemetery buried below parking lot at center of legal dispute:
Moses Cemetery, Cabin John, Montgomery Co., MD
African-American cemetery in Maryland makes list of most endangered historic sites in US:
Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 of the Ancient United Order of Sons & Daughters, Brothers & Sisters of Moses:
https://www.friendsofmoseshall.org/
Moses Macedonia Cemetery, Bethesda, MD
Fighting for the ancestors:
https://bethesdaafricancemeterycoalition.net/
Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore's Historic Mount Auburn Cemetery Gets Spruced Up:
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/05/14/baltimores-historic-mount-auburn-cemetery-gets-spruced-up/
Resurrecting Mount Auburn Cemetery:
http://mountauburn.msa.maryland.gov/
Mt. Nebo Methodist Cemetery, Bowie, MD
Centuries-old Black cemetery in Prince George's County searches for unmarked graves:
Mt. Olive Cemetery, New Windsor, MD
The Mount Olive Burial Grounds aka Mount Olive Cemetery:
https://motherafricanunion.org/mt-olive-cemetery
Mt. Zion Cemetery, Baltimore, MD
Smyrna Hosts Dedication Ceremony For Historic Black Cemetery:
https://cobbcountycourier.com/2022/02/smyrna-hosts-dedication-ceremony-for-historic-black-cemetery/
Pleasant Hill AME Church and Cemetery, Keedysville, MD
Group gathers to celebrate progress in clearing historic Black cemetery near Keedysville:
Red Hill Cemetery, Keedysville, MD
Local historic African American cemetery formally recognized and restored:
St. Stephens AME Church and Cemetery, Essex, MD
Historic African American Cemetery Project:
https://africanamerican.maryland.gov/historic-african-american-cemetery-project/
Tanyard Cemetery aka Franklin Cemetery, Churchton, MD
Cemetery steward cleans up African American graves in Deale and looks to have its history recognized:
Massachusetts
Nantucket Coloured Cemetery, Nantucket, MA
Nantucket Historic Coloured Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/nantuckethistoriccolouredcemetery
Missouri
Benedict Eshleman Cemetery, Lancaster, MO
300 Year Old Cemetery Abandoned in the Woods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eciZyeayXgY
Greenwood Cemetery, Hillsdale, MO
The growing movement to save Black cemeteries:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/growing-movement-black-cemeteries-rcna15566
Historic Greenwood Cemetery:
Sappington African American Cemetery, Nelson, MO
Missouri Untold: Sappington African American Cemetery State Historic Site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VtsvCcnbZs
Washington Park Cemetery, Berkeley, MO
Washington Park Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/washingtonparkcemetery
New Hampshire
Portsmouth African Burying Ground, Portsmouth, NH
Black heritage Trail of NH Graveyards: Portsmouth African Burying Ground:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BEEOsEhVBs
New Jersey
Prince Rogers Cemetery, Bridgewater, NJ
More historic burial grounds for African Americans discovered in New Jersey:
New York
S.1085 - African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center Act:
African Burial Ground National Monument, New York City, NY
The African Burial Ground 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCa_djSo6E
How 15,000 enslaved Africans buried under New York City revolutionized DNA ancestry tests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkML5lBer9I
Mount Moor Cemetery, West Nyack, NY
How the discovery of an African burial ground in New York City changed the field of genetics:
Mount Moor Cemetery:
https://aahsmuseum.org/dt_portfolios/mount-moor-cemetary/
New York City, NY
New Legislation Seeks to Protect the U.S.’ Historic Black Cemeteries:
North Carolina
Dixonville Cemetery, Salisbury, NC
Grassroots effort to restore historically-Black cemetery in Salisbury after vandalism | 'It's just so disrespectful':
Geer Cemetery, Durham, NC
Friends of Geer Cemetery - Durham, NC:
https://www.facebook.com/friendsofgeer/
Ohio
Brown Introduces Bipartisan African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act:
Pennslyvania
Lebanon Cemetery, York, PA
'Everyone here is family': Restoring York's first black cemetery:
Lincoln Cemetery, Carlisle, PA
Decades after black cemetery’s gravestones removed and lost, families try to restore dignity to sacred space:
Monumental Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Prefab Future For Former African-American Cemetery In West Philly:
South Carolina
African American Burial Ground at Woodland Cemetery, Clemson, SC
Woodland Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/woodlandcemetery
Beaufort County, SC
History of African-American Cemeteries:
https://www.sciway.net/hist/chicora/gravematters-1.html
Charleston, SC
Gullah Society:
https://www.facebook.com/GullahSociety/
South Dakota
Black Hills Cemetery, Black Hills Forest, SD
Black Hills Cemetery Act:
Tennessee
Benevolent Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN
African American cemetery from 1897 to be considered for Register of Historic Places:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFtCwTEOz2s
Eastport Cemetery, Freedmen’s Mission Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, New Gray Cemetery, Oddfellows Cemetery, Old Gray Cemetery, West View Cemetery, Knoxville, TN
Knoxville’s Major Black Cemeteries: A Driving Tour:
https://www.visitknoxville.com/blog/post/knoxvilles-major-black-cemeteries-a-driving-tour/
Texas
Champion-Macedonia Cemetery, Lewisville, TX
Volunteers work to restore Texas’ historic Black cemeteries:
Conroe Community Cemetery, Conroe, TX
A Restoration of Historic African American Cemetery, History and Learnings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEz7UySN3I4
Hockley-Clay Cemetery, San Antonio, TX
Discovery of historic Black cemetery leads to cultural heritage designation:
https://sanantonioreport.org/historic-black-cemetery-cultural-heritage-designation/
Mosier Valley Community Cemetery, Euless(Fort Worth), TX
Mosier Valley Community Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/mosier-valley-community-cemetery
St. Mary’s Cemetery, Pflugerville, TX
Coalition of Pflugerville activists begin search for unmarked graves in historic Black cemetery:
Virginia
African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, VA
“Meet me in the Bottom: The Struggle to Reclaim Richmond’s African American Burial Ground”:
Clover, VA
After 60 years of anonymity, Henrietta Lacks has a headstone:
https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_5bb9a40e-8cd5-5ed7-927e-736d80972099.html
Columbian Harmony Cemetery, King George, VA
A Virginia state senator found headstones on his property. It brought to light a historic injustice in D.C.:
Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery, Alexandria, VA
Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial:
https://www.alexandriava.gov/FreedmenMemorial
Daughters of Zion Cemetery, Charlottesville, VA
Sacred Spaces: Preserving African American Cemeteries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JLb-CNVNrs
Douglass Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, VA
Historic Black cemetery under threat of being washed away in Old Town:
East End Cemetery, Henrico, VA
The fight to save America’s historic Black cemeteries:
Friends of East End Cemetery:
Recovering a Black Cemetery: Automated Mapping of Hidden Gravesites Using an sUAV and GIS in East End Cemetery, Richmond, VA:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10761-021-00642-3
Evergreen Cemetery, Richmond, VA
The Landscape of Injustice: The East End And Evergreeen Cemeteries:
Ham Cemetery and Woodland Cemetery, Richmond, VA
A New Generation of Volunteers Are Rescuing Historic Black Cemeteries—And Black History:
https://time.com/5910813/african-american-cemeteries-history/
Hickory Hill Slave and African American Cemetery, Ashland, VA
Hickory Hill Slave and African American Cemetery:
https://www.nps.gov/places/hickory-hill-slave-and-african-american-cemetery.html
Loudoun County, VA
Preserving and Recording African American Cemeteries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07hIHUQTQvk
Petersburg, VA
The African American Cemeteries Of Petersburg, Virginia: Continuity and Change:
https://www.chicora.org/pdfs/RS55%20-%20part%201.pdf
Richmond, VA
Unmarked: African-American Histories in the South:
Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, Richmond, VA
Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project:
https://www.sacredgroundproject.net/p/2nd-african-burial-ground.html
Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/shockoehill
Sycolin Cemetery now Belmont Slave Cemetery, Ashburn, VA
Once Forgotten | Deep in the woods he discovered a hidden African-American cemetery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lX_4QnYssA
Thoroughfare, VA
Unearthing history: African American cemeteries remain at risk:
Washington, D.C.
S.Res.315 - A resolution memorializing the discovery of the Clotilda:
S.2827 - African American Burial Grounds Study Act:
To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish within the National Park Service the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program, and for other purposes:
https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/african_american_burial_grounds.pdf
The African American and Quaker Cemeteries, Washington, DC
Commemorating the African American and Quaker Cemeteries at Walter Pierce Park in Washington, DC:
https://walterpierceparkcemeteries.org/
Columbian Harmony Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Columbian Harmony Cemetery:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_Harmony_Cemetery
‘Righting the wrong’ — 61 years later, headstones from Black cemetery returned:
https://wtop.com/local/2021/08/headstones-black-cemetery-returned/
Mount Pleasant Plains Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Graves beneath the park in Adams Morgan:
Mount Zion Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/the-law.html
Stanton Family Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Stanton Family Cemetery:
https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/stanton-family-cemetery