History gets written down in books but, like archeology, it can seep up from the earth itself, from a loamy underground of sacred, ancient things: gravestones tucked under elms and tangled by vines; iron-nailed coffins trapped beneath pavement and parking lots and highway overpasses….Who owns these graveyards? Who owns these bones? Who owns, and what is owed?
Jill Lepore, “When Black History Is Unearthed, Who Gets to Speak for the Dead?”
The New Yorker, 27 September 2021
We believe that the future of Geer Cemetery belongs to those with the strongest ties to its past: the descendants of those buried there. Our mission includes:
- Reaching out to descendants.
- Sharing our research with them, and sharing their histories, photos, and memories with the world.
- Providing them opportunities to meet and learn about each other.
For more information, contact us at descendants@friendsofgeercemetery.org.