WASHINGTON,
DC –
Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) praised the African
American Cemeteries Coalition during remarks he made at the group’s Black
History Month Celebration, and discussed the introduction of his
African American Burial Grounds
Preservation Act. The newly-introduced bipartisan
bill is also sponsored by Mitt Romney (R-UT).
Brown
first introduced similar legislation in 2019 after
he visited Union Baptist Cemetery
in Cincinnati
following news reports of vandalism at the cemetery and the cemetery’s call for
much-needed repairs. Union Baptist Cemetery was founded in 1864 and includes
the remains of
enslaved African
Americans, African American Union soldiers and civil rights
activists.
“As
a nation, we have not invested the necessary resources to preserve these
hallowed grounds. That’s why we’ve worked with the community, and with civil
rights, veterans, and historic preservation groups to introduce bipartisan
legislation to preserve historic Black burial grounds around the country,” said Brown. “Cemeteries like
Union Baptist are important historical sites, and they’re tools for education
and understanding the American story. We need to act now before these sites are
lost to the ravages of time or development.”
The
African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act, would establish
a program at the National Park Service to provide grant opportunities and
technical assistance to local partners to research, identify, survey and
preserve these cemeteries. Providing federal resources will ensure sites like
Union Baptist are preserved and maintained for future generations.
Today’s
Black History Program was sponsored by the African American Cemetery Coalition,
a group made up of African Graves Matter, Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition
and the Hamilton Hood. The program commemorated Black stories of legacy,
historical journeys, notable achievements and the sacred spaces that have
shaped the country. It aimed to expand advocacy throughout the United States
for the protection and preservation of threatened African burial sites and to
celebrate the history of a people plagued by injustice and erasure.
“The
African American Cemetery Coalition, a grassroots group of African American
cemetery preservation and protector groups, affirm support of the African
American Burial Grounds Preservation Act,” the African American Cemetery Coalition said. “The
documentation of historical African American burials grounds is critical to their
survival along with potential financial support that has been too long denied
them. “
“This
bill is significant for the community of Bethesda, Maryland. Our ancient
cemetery is being desecrated because of a lack of federal attention to this
issue,” the
Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition wrote. “The African American Burial
Grounds Preservation Act will provide much
needed protections for the community fighting large corporations and historic
injustice.”
“We
stand in support of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for his courage and
tenacity to embrace and bring awareness to the struggle of people of African
descent. His empathy and compassion show that he respects our ancestors'
contribution to America's landscape; and that he recognizes our right to share
our history and culture with the world,” African Graves Matter said. “The stance that he has
taken to preserve African American Burial Grounds, only strengthens our fight
locally, nationwide and in our immediate communities. May his courage serve as
an example for local and national leaders to ease the pains of injustices.”
“African
American Burial Grounds are landscapes of celebration and places of memory.
The
newly introduced African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act is paramount
to redress the inequities and long-standing risks of these sacred spaces,” said the Hamilton Hood Foundation.
“This proposed bill will create a formal foundation to preserve and
interpret these pivotal spaces in our nation's history. The Hamilton Hood
Foundation stands in support of African American Burial Grounds Preservation
Act.
The
legislation is also supported by historic preservation groups in Ohio and
across the country.
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