Memorial for William Custalo, Richmond restaurateur and civic leader, and his family. East End Cemetery, Henrico County, VA.

Memorial for William Custalo, Richmond restaurateur and civic leader, and his family. East End Cemetery, Henrico County, VA.

For roughly a century, the state of Virginia has funded the maintenance and upkeep of confederate cemeteries by providing annual allotments to private entities like the Sons of Confederate Veterans, among others. But no such funding has been designated for historic African American burial grounds — a discrepancy that may soon change with a bill making its way through the General Assembly. For a growing group of volunteers and preservationists, the funding can’t come soon enough for the state’s rapidly deteriorating and neglected Civil War-era black cemeteries. Kojo explores the complexities around the effort to aid Virginia’s historic black burial grounds, and learns about efforts in our region to preserve those vanishing sites.

Guests

  • Brian Palmer Photographer and Writer; Adjunct Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Char McCargo Bah Genealogist, City of Alexandria; Historian; CEO, Finding Things for U

Photos of Virginia's Historic Black Cemeteries in East End and Evergreen

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