- Rebekah Jewers
Join us as we serve our community!
Updated: Feb 19, 2021
UPDATE: Due to recent weather patterns, this event will be rescheduled to a later date. Stay tuned for more details.
In celebration of Black History Month, we are honored to offer a volunteer service opportunity that will enhance our community in a meaningful way. This month, we are participating in a cleanup of the historic Evergreen Cemetery on Saturday, February 20th from 11:00am-12:30pm. There is still time to register, and we welcome you to join our mission.
Founded in 1891 by several of Richmond’s prominent African American leaders, Evergreen Cemetery, located in Richmond’s East End, is the final resting place for thousands of individuals who once called Richmond home. Those individuals, 19th and 20th century African Americans who dealt with and fought against discrimination and segregation, are united in eternal rest in a powerful memorial that pays tribute to their history and their plight.
Spanning over sixty acres, this historic burial ground’s plots were generally maintained by family members and cemetery staff; however, during the Great Migration, beginning in 1916, many families had started to relocate, leaving fewer people to maintain the plots.
Although descendent families still maintain family plots to this day, the general maintenance of Evergreen Cemetery became too much to maintain, causing the cemetery landscaping to become overgrown and walkways to become unnavigable.
Along with the Executive Planning and Review Team, Enrichmond, a fellow non-profit organization, committed to the cemetery’s restoration, is responsible for protecting the grounds. Enrichmond also offers volunteer opportunities to members of the general public. Check out their website here and see what other great things the organization is doing in and around RVA! A detailed history of Evergreen Cemetery can be found there, as well. This includes biographies of some of those who are laid to rest on the grounds, including prominent figures such as John Mitchell, Rev. J. Andrew Bowler, Dr. Sarah Garland Boyd Jones, and Maggie L. Walker.
We surely hope to see you next Saturday. If you can’t make it, please consider our next event on March 20th. Facilitated by Atlantic Outreach Group, our Spring Cleanup is sure to usher in the new season with service and smiles.
Click here to register for either offering.
Photos and content obtained and referenced from:
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/50175/evergreen-cemetery
https://www.richmondcemeteries.org/evergreen/
https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/