cemetery restoration

Lane Street Project: Cobb-Bethel A.M.E. Church Cemetery.

Though I will always be of Wilson, I have lived in Atlanta for most of my adult life. It is very much “home” for me, too, and is a bottomless well of African-American culture and history that often informs the way I process research and works related to Black Wide-Awake and Lane Street Project.

I’ve recently begun visiting metro Atlanta’s historic African-American burial grounds. How have they weathered exploding population growth, shifting demographics, outmigration, land loss, and other pressures? The third in a series — Cobb-Bethel A.M.E. Church Cemetery, Atlanta, Fulton County.

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Located up a short slope behind Cobb-Bethel A.M.E. Church on County Line Road, this cemetery shows signs of a recent major clean-up. The older section, up front, is clear, and small red flags indicate a survey. As you push deeper, the ground is stubbled with the stumps of saplings, and even further back, some headstones remain in dense underbrush, but the church’s commitment to the care and reclamation of this burial ground is clear.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, May 2025.

Cemeteries, no. 30: Brantley cemetery, part 3.

A lot has changed since I visited Brantley cemetery in June 2020, and the credit goes to industrious Gary Holmes of the Howard-Brantley family. A sign clearly marks the small cemetery, which lies between two fields and is accessible by a dirt path.

Decades of overgrowth have been cleared from the headstones, which are now clearly visible. Charlie Brantley‘s grave marker is one of the largest in the cemetery.

His father Henderson Brantley‘s marker stands nearby.

Kudos to the Howard-Brantley family for reclaiming their ancestral burial ground.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2025.

Lane Street Project: season 5, workday 4.

I don’t often get to put in a full Lane Street Project service day, but yesterday I put in work. Castonoble Hooks and Briggs Sherwood were in the parking lot oiling tools when I pulled up, and Raymond Renfrow was headed into the trees to hack down wisteria shoots.

Our complete elimination of treetop wisteria and dead trees has exposed the ground to sunlight for the first time in decades. Enormous weeds and weedy shrubs — dog fennel, pokeweed, privet, sedge grass, and wisteria shoots — have rushed to colonize the space. With the arrival of Portia Newman and Lisa Benoy Gamble, we focused on cutting and clearing the areas between Henry Tart and Lula Dew Wooten‘s headstones. When Billy Woodard strode in John Henry-style with ax and chainsaw, we sent him deeper into the cemetery to fell small dead or dying trees and cut large vines. Chris Facey circled among us, chronicling the work through his cameras, and a large pile of cuttings waits to be hauled to the curb by the next workday’s volunteers.

B. Sherwood takes a breather after clearing around Lula Dew’s fine grave marker. You can see behind him how thickly the weed stalks have sprouted. 

Portia and I went hunting for the pile of headstones that includes my great-great-grandmother Rachel Taylor‘s and found these weird swells of dried weeds. I generally know my noisome invasive plants, but this one is throwing me. This area was cleared last season, so this growth occurred over the summer and fall.

What is this stuff?

It reshrouded the headstones and everything else at the back of the opening. I had to pull up mats of this stuff to get to Rachel Taylor’s headstone, which was once again pinned down by wisteria runners. On the plus side, it pulls free fairly easily, and the task will be even less difficult without snow weighing down and wetting the stalks.

Bessie McGowan’s headstone released from its shroud.

On the bright side, late February and early March are daffodil season at Odd Fellows and Rountree Cemeteries!

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, February 2025.

Lane Street Project: season 5, workday 3.

After bad weather tanked our January service days, we finally got Season 5 off the ground.

Let me let Castonoble Hooks tell you about it:

“On the left, a descendent of slaves and a descendent of slave owners. On the right, the ever ready Senior Force ready to restore Odd Fellows Cemetery, an African-American cemetery. This for me was a milestone moment working on this project to meet and be able to discuss history with the descendent of slave owners for their honest reflection. It was amazing because she was a brave and bold in her response no matter if we agreed or not. I loved her facing things truly. She worked the whole four hours. We talked nonstop. The project inspires such conversations that lead to greater understanding. Met another great person I hope to call friend. We found more unites us than divide us, especially now under Donald Trump! We were all surprised by Sam Vick’s granddaughter Vicki, whose presence added to what was already a remarkable Black History Month cleanup! 5 YRS STRONG! Briggs just sent me the names of people in attendance — Chris Facey of New York, Raven Farmer of Durham [and a Wilson native and original LSP volunteer], Emily Bass of New York by way of Black Creek, and Michael Charrington and Raymond Renfrow [of Mount Hebron #42, the Masonic lodge to which Sam Vick belonged]!”

 The Senior Force — Cass Hooks, Briggs Sherwood, and William Hooks — are the lifeblood of Lane Street Project. If no one else shows, I can always count on them! Chris Facey has been beautifully documenting our work since 2022. Raven Farmer has walked the talk year after year. Vicki Cowan is our biggest cheerleader, bringing the Vick family’s support and blessings to our work. Emily Bass, whose open mind and heart sent her on a roadtrip. And Raymond Renfrow and the Prince Hall Masons, who answered my call to join in reclaiming our history. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Signal Boost: Freedom Organization’s cemetery project.

Among its many initiatives, Edgecombe County’s Freedom Organization has been working to restore Princeville’s Wilson Cemetery, the resting place of many of that historic community’s early residents. Many hands make light work, and I share here news of their next Community Conversation. The event falls on the Saturday between Lane Street Project’s two February service days, so you can make all three!

JOIN FREEDOM ORG AT THE NEXT COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
February 15, 2025, 12:00pm – 2:30pm
Princeville Town Hall
201 S. Main Street, Princeville, NC 27886

“Through our Wilson Cemetery Restoration Project, we’re working to restore and preserve sacred community landmarks. By mapping unmarked burial sites and clearing historic spaces, we’re ensuring that these stories remain part of our shared cultural heritage.

“Stay tuned for updates and ways to get involved. Together, we can honor the past and protect it for future generations.”

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For more information about Freedom Org and its work in community economic development, agriculture, and historic and cultural preservation, see http://www.freedomorg.org and follow them on Instagram @freedomorgnc.

Lane Street Project + State of Success.

I’m excited to share news of the 2024-2025 Student of Success Scholarship. State of Success, Inc., is offering two $1,000 scholarships for Wilson County high school seniors. One will be awarded to a senior at Fike High School and one to a senior at any other Wilson County high school. The scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for students who are committed to making a positive impact in their communities through leadership and engagement in social causes.

Lane Street Project’s own Dr. Portia Newman serves as State of Success’ Education Director and Scholarship Committee Chair. Dr. Newman will be at Odd Fellows Cemetery on L.S.P.’s 22 February 2025 service day to give back to the community while raising awareness about this incredible opportunity for students.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Share with a student

2. Make a donation

  • Help State of Success reach its fundraising goals, which support scholarships and the community. Every donation, large or small, makes a difference and is tax-deductible

3. Volunteer alongside State of Success

  • If donating isn’t an option right now, Dr. Newman would love for folks to join her in making a difference in the community. Support the Student of Success Scholarship’s mission of service and leadership, learn more about the program, and make an impact by helping reclaim a historic sacred space.

African American Cemeteries and Their Communities: a symposium.

I’m excited to have been invited by the Durham Black Burial Grounds Collaboratory to African American Cemeteries and Their Communities to engage in conversation with “diverse stakeholders — descendants, reclamation organizations, and academics/researchers — to foster collaboration in the sensitive and vital work of preserving African American cemeteries and honoring the communities they represent.” I’m looking forward to sharing Lane Street Project’s story and bringing back practices and processes to benefit the cemeteries we serve.

Bravo, Iredell County Public Library!

Kudos to the Statesville, N.C., chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. for recognizing (and partnering with) Shellie Taylor, Joel Reese, and Iredell County Public Library for their exemplary work with Statesville’s Green Street Cemetery project. Further congrats to the library on its invitation to speak at the North Carolina Humanities Luncheon about library projects funded by N.C. Humanities, including the ground-penetrating radar at Green Street Cemetery! (There’s an idea!)

Recommended reading, no. 20: Cemetery Citizens.

I have not yet sunk my teeth into Adam Rosenblatt’s Cemetery Citizens, but can’t wait to share it with you. The breadth of the community of people working to reclaim African-American cemeteries is both heartbreaking and encouraging, and I have learned so much from their experiences. Durham’s Geer Cemetery and Richmond’s East End Cemetery have histories and present challenges very different from Wilson’s Rountree, Odd Fellows, and Vick, but those of us working in those spaces grapple with the same fundamental questions. I was honored to sit for an interview for this book and to contribute to the conversations around this form of social justice work.