A practical guide for descendants and community advocates seeking to protect a historic African American burial ground.
Begin with a Survey
Before any other preservation work begins, the cemetery should be carefully surveyed. The survey should document the cemetery's boundaries (often imperfectly defined in deed records), all visible markers (with photographs, GPS coordinates, and full inscriptions), all suspected unmarked burial areas, the condition of any existing fencing or walls, the condition of any structures (such as a chapel or sexton's building), the species and condition of significant trees and other vegetation, and any visible threats (encroachment, erosion, vandalism, deferred maintenance). The survey is the foundational document on which all subsequent preservation work will be built and should be archived in multiple physical and digital locations.
Establish or Strengthen the Stewardship Organization
Most successful cemetery preservation projects are led by a formal organization — a descendant association, a friends-of-the-cemetery group, a church trustees committee, or a local historical society. Where such an organization already exists, its capacity should be strengthened (members recruited, bylaws reviewed, federal nonprofit recognition pursued if appropriate). Where no such organization exists, one should be established, ideally with the active involvement of descendant family members, local clergy, and community elders. The organization should hold regular public meetings, maintain transparent financial records, and develop a written preservation plan.
Address Title and Legal Status
Many historic Black cemeteries face complicated legal situations. Title may rest with a defunct ecclesiastical corporation, a long-dissolved burial society, or private parties unaware of the cemetery's existence. The state laws governing historic cemeteries vary widely, but most states provide some mechanism for the establishment of a perpetual care fund, the conveyance of orphan cemetery title to a successor stewardship organization, or the recognition of cemetery associations under state law. Working with a knowledgeable local attorney to clarify the legal status of the cemetery is often the most important early step in any preservation project.
Physical Preservation Work
Physical preservation work at a historic Black cemetery typically involves brush clearing (carefully, to avoid damaging buried markers or unmarked graves); the resetting and repair of toppled or broken stones (using techniques approved by professional cemetery conservators, never with cement); the documentation and respectful re-marking of unmarked graves identified through ground-penetrating radar or oral history; the repair or installation of perimeter fencing; the careful management of significant trees; and the installation of an interpretive marker explaining the cemetery's history. Volunteer work is essential but should be supervised by someone familiar with cemetery conservation standards.
Funding and Grants
Major funding sources for African American cemetery preservation include the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the federal African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program established by the 2024 Act and administered by the National Park Service, state historic preservation grants administered by State Historic Preservation Offices, and private foundation grants from regional and national funders increasingly attentive to African American historic preservation. Local fundraising, including memorial contributions from descendant families, is also a customary and important source.
Telling the Story
An essential dimension of cemetery preservation is the telling of the story — the publication of the cemetery's history in local newspapers, on church and historical society websites, and in the form of interpretive materials available at the cemetery itself; the inclusion of the cemetery in local heritage tourism; the engagement of local school children, including through service-learning projects; and the periodic public commemoration of the cemetery's significance. A cemetery that is known, visited, and understood is a cemetery that will be defended when threats arise. The work of preservation is, in its deepest sense, the work of memory.