After the Civil War, White cemeteries didn’t allow Black people to bury their dead on the same land. This meant Black Athenians were left with nowhere to bury and memorialize their loved ones. In response, local Black residents established societies that used community trusts to set property boundaries and name specific stewards responsible for cemetery operations and upkeep, all to care for the community after death. One example of this work in Athens is the Gospel Pilgrim Society that founded its namesake cemetery in 1882. In the 144 years since, approximately 3,500 African Americans have been buried there, and approximately 20-25% of those were formerly enslaved individuals. Among them are William Pledger, Pink Morton, Hariett Powers, and William Henry Heard. In this class, Fred Smith and Chaplain Cole will explain what it is that brings them to this work, share stories of notable Black Athenians buried in Gospel Pilgrim, and discuss why honoring and spreading this historic past is so important for Athens' present and future. Also included is information about how you can get involved and help support Gospel Pilgrim's community preservation work to protect this vital part of Athens history.

After the Civil War, White cemeteries didn’t allow Black people to bury their dead on the same land. This meant Black Athenians were left with nowhere to bury and memorialize their loved ones. In response, local Black residents established societies that used community trusts to set property boundaries and name specific stewards responsible for cemetery operations and upkeep, all to care for the community after death. One example of this work in Athens is the Gospel Pilgrim Society that founded its namesake cemetery in 1882. In the 144 years since, approximately 3,500 African Americans have been buried there, and approximately 20-25% of those were formerly enslaved individuals. Among them are William Pledger, Pink Morton, Hariett Powers, and William Henry Heard. In this class, Fred Smith and Chaplain Cole will explain what it is that brings them to this work, share stories of notable Black Athenians buried in Gospel Pilgrim, and discuss why honoring and spreading this historic past is so important for Athens' present and future. Also included is information about how you can get involved and help support Gospel Pilgrim's community preservation work to protect this vital part of Athens history.