Geer Cemetery: A Legacy of Resistance

The exhibit is an outdoor display highlighting information and artifacts from the ongoing preservation work being done in Geer Cemetery. Geer Cemetery, located in Durham, is a historic African American cemetery with burials from the late 1880s until the 1930s. It is one of the oldest public cemeteries created by African Americans in Durham. With the opening of Beechwood Cemetery and the aging of the community members who cared for the cemetery, it fell into disrepair.

Once considered “hidden,” it is lovingly being reclaimed by the Friends of Geer Cemetery. An archaeological survey has recently been completed and this exhibit highlights what has been discovered during the ongoing cleanup efforts to prepare for the survey, and by the survey itself. The information gathered as part of the preservation of the cemetery demonstrates the resilience of a community and its burial space despite a multitude of challenges.