FPAN Applauds African American Burial Grounds Network Act Introduction in Congress
Handmade concrete cross, San Sebastian Cemetery, West Augustine.
The Florida Public Archaeology Network adds their gratitude and congratulations to Representatives Alma S. Adams (NC-12) and A.
Donald McEachin (VA-04) for introducing the African American Burial Grounds
Network Act today and urges swift passage of the bill to chronicle and preserve
African-American burial grounds for future generations.
“The African American Burial Grounds Network Act will make a lasting contribution to preserve protect these unique cultural resources significant to our local, state, and national history and further protect our
nation’s African American burial grounds,” said Sarah Miller, FPAN's Northeast Regional Director.
The legislation would
create a voluntary national network of historic African-American burial grounds
and establish a program to educate the public and provide technical assistance
for community members and local organizations to research and preserve burial
sites and cemeteries within the Network. The African American Burial Grounds
Network Act would:
● Create a voluntary,
nationwide database of historic burial grounds, with the consent of the
property owner, that relate to the historic African-American experience;
● Provide technical
assistance to local public, private, state and local partners to research,
survey, identify, record, preserve, evaluate, and interpret these burial
grounds;
● Establish educational
materials for community members, local groups, and schools about African-American
burial grounds; and
●
Make available grants for local groups to
research, survey, identify, record, and aid in the preservation of sites within
the Network.
The legislation has been endorsed by a number
of national and local organizations: The National Trust for Historic
Preservation, Coalition for American Heritage, Society for American
Archaeology, Society for Historical Archaeology, American Anthropological
Association, Association of Black Anthropologists, the Afro-American Historical
& Genealogical Society Inc., Association for the Study of African American
Life and History, Preservation of African American Cemeteries Inc., American
Cultural Resources Association, United States Committee of the International
Council on Monuments and Sites, Save Our Heritage Organization, Preservation
North Carolina, Preservation Virginia, Enrichmond Foundation, Florida Public
Archaeology Network, Preservation Maryland, Council for Northeast Historical
Archaeology, Illinois Archaeological Survey, the Wake Forest Historical Museum,
the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Virginia Humanities, the Council of Virginia
Archaeologists, Black Genealogy Research Group of Oklahoma, River Road African
American Museum, River Road African Burial Grounds Coalition, Shadow Lawn
Memorial Gardens Maintenance & Perpetual Care Association, Preserve
Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas African American Heritage Association, and
Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.