This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/15/us/nearly-erased-by-history-african-americans-search-for-lost-graves.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nearly ‘Erased by History’: African Americans Search for Lost Graves | Nearly ‘Erased by History’: African Americans Search for Lost Graves |
| (2 days later) | |
| GROVELAND, Fla. — On a muggy summer morning, Donna Brodus Forrest stepped into an old, nearly forgotten cemetery hidden in a thicket of trees, in pursuit of a family mystery. | GROVELAND, Fla. — On a muggy summer morning, Donna Brodus Forrest stepped into an old, nearly forgotten cemetery hidden in a thicket of trees, in pursuit of a family mystery. |
| For much of her life, Ms. Forrest had heard stories about her grandmother, Viola Brodus — a laborer who was born just a few years before the century turned, died at 41 and was buried in the Old Groveland Cemetery in 1938. Before Ms. Forrest’s father died eight years ago, he shared another detail: the possible location of his mother’s grave. It was behind a headstone etched with the name Joe Green. | For much of her life, Ms. Forrest had heard stories about her grandmother, Viola Brodus — a laborer who was born just a few years before the century turned, died at 41 and was buried in the Old Groveland Cemetery in 1938. Before Ms. Forrest’s father died eight years ago, he shared another detail: the possible location of his mother’s grave. It was behind a headstone etched with the name Joe Green. |
| That morning, Ms. Forrest stepped around long-fallen trees, tangled vines and broken headstones until she reached an unmarked depression — not far from Mr. Green’s headstone, one of only three still standing — where her grandmother might have been buried. To Ms. Forrest, the exact location in a cemetery that stretched over an acre was beside the point. The site had been abandoned long before she was even born. What was important, she said, was finally coming face to face with the promise of the soil, with the missing piece of her story. Finally, she felt a closeness to the grandmother she had known only through the words of her father. | That morning, Ms. Forrest stepped around long-fallen trees, tangled vines and broken headstones until she reached an unmarked depression — not far from Mr. Green’s headstone, one of only three still standing — where her grandmother might have been buried. To Ms. Forrest, the exact location in a cemetery that stretched over an acre was beside the point. The site had been abandoned long before she was even born. What was important, she said, was finally coming face to face with the promise of the soil, with the missing piece of her story. Finally, she felt a closeness to the grandmother she had known only through the words of her father. |
| “Emotionally, this is overwhelming — I had always longed to know my grandmother,” Ms. Forrest, a restaurant owner and real estate agent, said. “I just want her to know that she has not been forgotten.” | “Emotionally, this is overwhelming — I had always longed to know my grandmother,” Ms. Forrest, a restaurant owner and real estate agent, said. “I just want her to know that she has not been forgotten.” |
| For many African Americans, the search for family ties can begin and end with segregated cemeteries and burial grounds that have long faded from public memory. But as a growing wave of descendants trace their roots to build fuller origin stories, they are discovering and restoring old cemeteries and erecting memorial markers for long-lost burial sites. | For many African Americans, the search for family ties can begin and end with segregated cemeteries and burial grounds that have long faded from public memory. But as a growing wave of descendants trace their roots to build fuller origin stories, they are discovering and restoring old cemeteries and erecting memorial markers for long-lost burial sites. |
| “This is about the larger story of Black history, of American history,” Antoinette Jackson, the chair of the department of anthropology at the University of South Florida who is building a national database of Black cemeteries, said. “These cemeteries, so many of which have been erased, are a fulcrum for our understanding of who we are as a nation. They offer a window into the people of a community.” | “This is about the larger story of Black history, of American history,” Antoinette Jackson, the chair of the department of anthropology at the University of South Florida who is building a national database of Black cemeteries, said. “These cemeteries, so many of which have been erased, are a fulcrum for our understanding of who we are as a nation. They offer a window into the people of a community.” |
| For decades, burial grounds that held names, stories and history slipped away. Some were unkept or abandoned as members of Black communities died off or some moved away. Some were unprotected and neglected by cities responsible for their care. Others were lost to the environment or to development — completely paved over and now lying beneath highways, stadiums, office buildings, parking lots and subdivisions. | For decades, burial grounds that held names, stories and history slipped away. Some were unkept or abandoned as members of Black communities died off or some moved away. Some were unprotected and neglected by cities responsible for their care. Others were lost to the environment or to development — completely paved over and now lying beneath highways, stadiums, office buildings, parking lots and subdivisions. |
| But in recent years, cemeteries dating back to the 1800s have been found on property behind churches, under high school and college campuses, deep in wooded lots. These discoveries are just the beginning of a tedious journey. | But in recent years, cemeteries dating back to the 1800s have been found on property behind churches, under high school and college campuses, deep in wooded lots. These discoveries are just the beginning of a tedious journey. |
| Reclaiming burial grounds and connecting descendants to their ancestors involves detective work: collecting oral histories from family members and local elders; tracking death certificates; studying property maps and deeds; and combing spotty and unforgiving records. Descendants and volunteer groups, working with archaeologists, often form foundations or associations to gain custody of — or at least access to — land to look for headstones, depressions and any other clues that may help determine the numbers of people interred and the boundaries of a cemetery. | Reclaiming burial grounds and connecting descendants to their ancestors involves detective work: collecting oral histories from family members and local elders; tracking death certificates; studying property maps and deeds; and combing spotty and unforgiving records. Descendants and volunteer groups, working with archaeologists, often form foundations or associations to gain custody of — or at least access to — land to look for headstones, depressions and any other clues that may help determine the numbers of people interred and the boundaries of a cemetery. |
| For more than a decade, Yamona Pierce was on a genealogical search for the names of relatives to fill out her family tree. She wanted to learn more about her lineage. She eventually tracked four generations, including ancestors born in the 1800s. She knew that her third great-grandparents, Jane Hamilton and Owen Hood, had been sharecroppers in Harris County, Ga., and that they were buried in Pierce Chapel African Cemetery. What she didn’t know was the location of the cemetery, which was built before emancipation. | For more than a decade, Yamona Pierce was on a genealogical search for the names of relatives to fill out her family tree. She wanted to learn more about her lineage. She eventually tracked four generations, including ancestors born in the 1800s. She knew that her third great-grandparents, Jane Hamilton and Owen Hood, had been sharecroppers in Harris County, Ga., and that they were buried in Pierce Chapel African Cemetery. What she didn’t know was the location of the cemetery, which was built before emancipation. |
| That longing to know more led to a road trip in the summer of 2019. Ms. Pierce and her two daughters traveled from Washington, D.C., to Columbus, Ga. With the help of a 92-year-old cousin who remembered the location, she found Pierce Chapel African Cemetery. | That longing to know more led to a road trip in the summer of 2019. Ms. Pierce and her two daughters traveled from Washington, D.C., to Columbus, Ga. With the help of a 92-year-old cousin who remembered the location, she found Pierce Chapel African Cemetery. |
| The site was littered with trash, furniture and car tires. It was in such bad shape that Ms. Pierce wondered, How could this have happened to her family and to so many others? | The site was littered with trash, furniture and car tires. It was in such bad shape that Ms. Pierce wondered, How could this have happened to her family and to so many others? |
| “Shock and profound sadness is what I felt,” she said. “I came here looking to retrace my ancestors’ steps, to learn more about my family history, and what I found was heartbreaking.” | “Shock and profound sadness is what I felt,” she said. “I came here looking to retrace my ancestors’ steps, to learn more about my family history, and what I found was heartbreaking.” |
| Ms. Pierce returned home and created a nonprofit, the Hamilton Hood Foundation (named after her relatives), teamed up with community organizations and raised money through grants and private donations. | Ms. Pierce returned home and created a nonprofit, the Hamilton Hood Foundation (named after her relatives), teamed up with community organizations and raised money through grants and private donations. |
| Ms. Pierce said that, based on oral history, she knew her relatives were buried in the cemetery, but she hadn’t located their headstones yet. So far, about 50 headstones have been found on the two-acre site. Her foundation is in talks with the current property owner to take over the property. | Ms. Pierce said that, based on oral history, she knew her relatives were buried in the cemetery, but she hadn’t located their headstones yet. So far, about 50 headstones have been found on the two-acre site. Her foundation is in talks with the current property owner to take over the property. |
| Federal and state preservation organizations are working with groups like the one started by Ms. Pierce to support restoration projects. This year, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, an initiative by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awarded Pennsylvania $50,000 to develop a statewide program to protect and restore African American cemeteries and burial grounds. | Federal and state preservation organizations are working with groups like the one started by Ms. Pierce to support restoration projects. This year, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, an initiative by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awarded Pennsylvania $50,000 to develop a statewide program to protect and restore African American cemeteries and burial grounds. |
| In Florida, several cemeteries have been found in the Tampa Bay region, a shocking discovery that ignited a preservation movement in the state. | In Florida, several cemeteries have been found in the Tampa Bay region, a shocking discovery that ignited a preservation movement in the state. |
| It all started with the discovery of Zion Cemetery three years ago. A tip from a retired county employee led journalists from The Tampa Bay Times to investigate a long-lost, unmarked African American grave site sitting directly under a public housing complex and restaurant warehouses in Tampa. The series of articles that originated from the reporting showed how local governments systematically erased some Black cemeteries from the record. | It all started with the discovery of Zion Cemetery three years ago. A tip from a retired county employee led journalists from The Tampa Bay Times to investigate a long-lost, unmarked African American grave site sitting directly under a public housing complex and restaurant warehouses in Tampa. The series of articles that originated from the reporting showed how local governments systematically erased some Black cemeteries from the record. |
| Last year, Florida created a task force to research abandoned and unmarked cemeteries and to develop a preservation plan. In 2021, Dr. Jackson, who is a member of the task force, started the Black Cemetery Network to track Black burial grounds across the country that are in various stages of investigation and restoration. So far, about 60 self-reported sites have been registered. | |
| The project in Groveland, a small city 30 miles west of Orlando in Lake County, began in 2021 when the city manager asked for volunteers to take on a restoration project. Kevin Carroll, the fire chief, raised his hand. | The project in Groveland, a small city 30 miles west of Orlando in Lake County, began in 2021 when the city manager asked for volunteers to take on a restoration project. Kevin Carroll, the fire chief, raised his hand. |
| Mr. Carroll pieced together the history of the local cemetery from the few available records, old news articles, and information from historical societies and museums: The site was established sometime between 1895 and 1900 and used to be known as Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery of Taylorville (the city’s name changed to Groveland in 1922). Some residents also called it Old Groveland Cemetery. | Mr. Carroll pieced together the history of the local cemetery from the few available records, old news articles, and information from historical societies and museums: The site was established sometime between 1895 and 1900 and used to be known as Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery of Taylorville (the city’s name changed to Groveland in 1922). Some residents also called it Old Groveland Cemetery. |
| What remains today could have easily been lost to history, to the thick pockets of invasive trees whose limbs touch everything in sight and to layers of weeds, leaves and decaying vegetation. A few headstones are upright, others are leaning or broken. All throughout, there are depressions in the soil, the telltale signs of unseen sunken graves. Mr. Carroll said there was evidence of about 215 people buried in the cemetery. | What remains today could have easily been lost to history, to the thick pockets of invasive trees whose limbs touch everything in sight and to layers of weeds, leaves and decaying vegetation. A few headstones are upright, others are leaning or broken. All throughout, there are depressions in the soil, the telltale signs of unseen sunken graves. Mr. Carroll said there was evidence of about 215 people buried in the cemetery. |
| Mr. Carroll and a few other volunteers — including Deo Persaud, Groveland’s human resources director, and Nigel Rudolph, an archaeologist — formed their own informal team to undertake the restoration. | Mr. Carroll and a few other volunteers — including Deo Persaud, Groveland’s human resources director, and Nigel Rudolph, an archaeologist — formed their own informal team to undertake the restoration. |
| “It’s the right thing to do, to show respect for our families that came before us,” said Samuel Griffin, 76, who was named after his uncle, a World War I veteran who was buried in the cemetery in 1935. Mr. Griffin’s father was also an early caretaker of the grounds. “That is how we can hold onto our history.” | “It’s the right thing to do, to show respect for our families that came before us,” said Samuel Griffin, 76, who was named after his uncle, a World War I veteran who was buried in the cemetery in 1935. Mr. Griffin’s father was also an early caretaker of the grounds. “That is how we can hold onto our history.” |
| Volunteers visit the cemetery weekly to clear the brush and look for headstones. Each clue uncovered yields bits of information about those who were buried there. Generations of African Americans who lived and died in Lake County were interred at the site, including a woman born into slavery, a months-old baby and several World War I veterans. Many worked in the turpentine, lumber and citrus industries in Groveland. They often died young, in their 30s and 40s, from diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. | Volunteers visit the cemetery weekly to clear the brush and look for headstones. Each clue uncovered yields bits of information about those who were buried there. Generations of African Americans who lived and died in Lake County were interred at the site, including a woman born into slavery, a months-old baby and several World War I veterans. Many worked in the turpentine, lumber and citrus industries in Groveland. They often died young, in their 30s and 40s, from diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. |
| There were earlier attempts to clean the cemetery, but this latest effort comes with funding. The city won a $499,000 restoration grant from the state. Separately, the Florida Legislature set aside $30 million specifically for African American cultural projects. | There were earlier attempts to clean the cemetery, but this latest effort comes with funding. The city won a $499,000 restoration grant from the state. Separately, the Florida Legislature set aside $30 million specifically for African American cultural projects. |
| The money, along with the work of some skilled volunteers, will allow the city, which now owns the property, to clear the land and to use ground penetrating radar to help pinpoint the locations of the graves. | The money, along with the work of some skilled volunteers, will allow the city, which now owns the property, to clear the land and to use ground penetrating radar to help pinpoint the locations of the graves. |
| The restoration group in Groveland plans to repair the headstones, to install a security fence and parking and to build a pavilion with educational kiosks. As with other restoration projects, the team hopes to have the cemetery added to historic registries. | The restoration group in Groveland plans to repair the headstones, to install a security fence and parking and to build a pavilion with educational kiosks. As with other restoration projects, the team hopes to have the cemetery added to historic registries. |
| “As a community, we have to keep this cemetery from being erased by history,” Mr. Carroll said. “We owe the people buried there respect, dignity and justice.” | “As a community, we have to keep this cemetery from being erased by history,” Mr. Carroll said. “We owe the people buried there respect, dignity and justice.” |
| Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. | Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. |