John Sydnor column: A new generation of heroes at Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries – Richmond.com

After a seven-year effort, Enrichmond has settled into the lead stewardship role at Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries, the too-often-forgotten resting place of generations of the citys African Americans. As our work unfolds, we witness the uncovering and resurrecting of so much of Richmonds history that was in jeopardy of being lost. Amid the overgrown brush and sprawling bramble are gravestones of many heroic figures who played proud and esteemed roles in shaping Richmonds story.

Foremost among them is Maggie L. Walker, the Jim Crow-era businesswoman who championed civil rights and economic empowerment and whose memory is celebrated today in many ways. Other luminaries include John Mitchell, the one-time slave and contemporary of Walker, who founded a bank, became a Richmond city councilman and could evoke fear as the editor of The Richmond Planet. Sarah Garland Jones (1866-1905) was the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in Virginia, and she went on to found Richmond Community Hospital.

These are only a few cornerstones of Richmonds African American history and culture. The cemeteries include thousands of individuals who built our city, our commonwealth and our nation. They serve as a reminder of our collective history in making a more perfect union as Freedoms First Generation the first generation of African Americans freed after the (national) abolition of slavery.

Enrichmond and our partners have achieved much over the past three years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awarded Evergreen Cemetery the official designation as a site of memory associated with the Slave Route Project one of the first in the world. The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded financial support through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to help launch the first phase of Evergreen Cemeterys restoration. And finally, the recently completed two-year Historic Evergreen Cemetery master plan lays out a detailed plan for reclamation of Evergreen and a foundation for the same for East End.

The reclamation of Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries helps us unearth poignant stories and personages. Enrichmond is committed to its responsibilities and dedicated to its stewardship of these sacred places. This commitment was most evident when we hosted 500-plus volunteers during the 2020 Martin Luther King Day of Service. But our greatest display of commitment is when our staff goes to work each and every day to partner with amazing individuals, groups, organizations and businesses to reclaim these sacred places. It is our honor.

As with any journey of commitment, it is the collective effort of many that not only makes the work successful, but also fulfilling and enduring. Throughout our stewardship, we have taken to heart the African proverb, If we stand tall, it is because we are standing on the shoulders of many ancestors. Those who inspire us to stand tall and endure are the new heroes of Evergreen and East End who gave of their time, talents and treasures to preserve black history on 100 acres in the East End of Richmond. Individuals like Veronica Davis, who along with Jim Bell and others, formed the National Association for the Restoration of African American Historic Cemeteries and Virginia Roots to foster volunteerism in support of black history. Or John Shuck, who recently celebrated his 10th year of volunteer service in both cemeteries. Davis and Shuck teamed up to form the Friends of Evergreen and Friends of East End organizations that have provided years of support to volunteers. Or Marilyn Campbell, who has volunteered almost 10 years to the preservation of African American genealogical research.

These are only a few of the thousands of volunteer heroes who have cleaned gravestones, recorded names and cleared plots again and again. Above all, it has been the hope and commitment of Evergreen and East End family members the living legacies who never stopped coming to the burial sites of their loved ones. Even when the ivy seemed relentless, the privet and overgrowth unstoppable, they came. When Enrichmond needed a partner to lead its master plan of reclamation, they formed the Executive Planning and Review Team (ExPRTs). They moved heaven and earth to make sure the path was clear. It is their path we now walk together. It is a blessing to be at their side on this journey.

New stories are growing out of the hallowed earth at Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries, where a renewed sense of optimism is drifting through the trees and meadows. The Richmond community has come to recognize the historical treasures buried amid the 100 acres, and new generations of heroes are taking up the mantle to see that they are preserved.

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John Sydnor column: A new generation of heroes at Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries - Richmond.com