Unmarked But Not Forgotten
There are two goals for this project, a masters thesis and a long term exploration of African American cemeteries in southwest Virginia.
In researching these burial spaces, I asked myself why it was necessary to segregate cemeteries. Why was it so easy to other-ie and disregard the humanity of people?
Once it's made plain, the disparities are hard to ignore. Cemeteries located on two lane roads with sidewalks or parking lots.
The final resting place of this ancestor is marked with a field stone. This final resting space lacks a name and date.
Cemeteries are typically organized in rows and columns. The scene may look chaotic but the empty spaces represent unmarked burials.
Birth: Unknown
Death: Unknown
54472263 Memorial ID
Southwest Virginia
Burial grounds located on a high ridge, found again after being plowed under. Memorialzed many years.
Temporary grave marker, lost in leaf litter in a segregated cemetery.