“On one level, cemeteries are about the pasts we bury in them. But on another, they are inherently future-oriented. Memorials are nothing if not directed at those who will look upon them and be called to remember. They also speak of the hopes of the deceased.
Because cemeteries are such patently liminal sites — poised between past and future, life and death, material and spiritual, earth and heaven — they more than any other designed landscapes communicate grand social and metaphysical ideas. They offer summations of lives lived and speak of community, the connection to place, mortality, afterlife, and eternity.”
Click any of the articles below to learn more about African American burial grounds.
The African Burial Ground National Monument
The African Burial Ground National Monument is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America.
Fox 4 KC
A story about the Liberty African American Legacy Memorial by John Holt of Fox 4 KC.
KSHB 41
Featured on KSHB 41 by Lindsey Shively.
African American Burial Grounds Network
Learn more about legislation currently being discussed in Congress to protect and preserve African American Burials Grounds.
The Preservation Crisis of African American Cemeteries
Zach Mortice’s in-depth article about the inequality of preserving African American cemeteries.
Flatland KC
Brian Burnes interviews members of the Liberty African American Legacy Memorial committee.
Symbolic Justice
A CNN article about the ongoing project to recover and restore headstones that were thrown from a historic Black cemetery into the Potomac River.
The Black Cemetery Network
The threat of desecration to Black cemeteries is a national issue. Discover what is being done to preserve and protect African American burial grounds across the country.
Headstones Found in the Potomac River
A historic injustice was brought to light when a Virginia state senator found headstones on his property.
Who Speaks for the Dead?
Jill Lepore’s powerful New Yorker article about Black burial grounds, the efforts to restore them, and the conflicts over inheritance and representation.
African American Graves Discovered in Clearwater
Tampa Bay Times feature about the discovery of 44 African American graves underneath an unused parking lot owned by the school district.
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Your contribution is essential and appreciated. Every dollar gets us closer to the reality of building the Legacy Memorial and honoring the names and lives of the African Americans buried in this hallowed ground. .