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Grave Matters

South Florida Sacred Burial Ground Reasonins’

Black History month conversation memorializing deceased, cemeteries and memory work. Invitees: cultural workers, preservationists, historians, anthropologists, librarians, genealogists, morticians.

Cemeteries, graveyards, and burial grounds continue to serve as public monuments that capture historic snapshots of their surrounding locales.  Such sites bear significance to community’s historical presence and important relationship to family and genealogical research. 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In the last decade, three South Florida cemeteries in Deerfield Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Brownsville, Miami continue to reveal the need for and benefits of collaborative restoration efforts in preserving and retaining the important histories of African and Caribbean American descendants. 

On June 4, 2021, Governor DeSantis signed into law CS/CS/HB 37 (Chapter 2021-60, Laws of Florida) relating to Abandoned Cemeteries. The bill created a 10-member Task Force on Abandoned African American Cemeteries (“Task Force”), adjunct to the Department of State (“Department”), to:

1. Study the extent to which unmarked or abandoned African American cemeteries and burial grounds exist throughout the state; and
2. Develop and recommend strategies for identifying and recording cemeteries and burial grounds while preserving local history and ensuring dignity and respect for the deceased.

Broward County Librarian administration asked Dr. Ramona La Roche, Librarian Supervisor, African American Research Library and Cultural Center to attend and represent AARLCC for the public committee hearing meetings in 2021, given her expertise with genealogy and sacred African diaspora burial grounds in South Carolina and south Florida.  Please see link for more details. https://dos.fl.gov/historical/archaeology/human-remains/abandoned-cemeteries/2021-abandoned-african-american-cemeteries-task-force/

FEATURED PANELISTS

• Dr. Enid Pinkney, Historic Preservation, Lemon City Cemetery, Historic Hampton House, Miami
• Dr. Antoinette Jackson, Anthropology Chair, University of South Florida, Tampa
• Gloria Battle, Deerfield Beach Historical Society, Branhilda Richardson Knowles Memorial Park, Deerfield Beach
• Roberto Fernandez, III, Educator, History Broward, Ft. Lauderdale
• Dr. Ramona La Roche, Moderator, Cultural Heritage Informaticist, AARLCC, Broward County Library

The hybrid program will be presented from 2:15 - 4:00 pm EST both in person at AARLCC and online.

Refreshments and door prizes will be available!  Please share with your networks.....

Virtual Link

You are invited to also join via Zoom

When: Feb 24, 2024 02:15 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Grave Matters Event (Feb 24, 2:15 pm-4 pm)

Please click here to join the webinar:

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Or Telephone:

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Webinar ID: 160 648 3520

    International numbers available: https://broward-org.zoomgov.com/u/aigDGrgOs

About the African American Research Library and Cultural Center 
The Broward County African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) is located in the Sistrunk community, one of the oldest historically Black communities named for one of Fort Lauderdale’s first Black physicians. Opening to the public on October 26, 2002, AARLCC became the third public library of its kind in the United States dedicated to the study of Black history and culture. The 60,000 square-foot Center serves as a repository of materials related to the local, national, and international voices of the African diaspora with more than 85,000 books, manuscripts, artifacts, framed art, print, photography, audiovisual, and documents held in our Adult Services Section and Special Collections. The Youth Services Section features a special collection of Coretta Scott King Award books and the Ashley Bryan Art Collection from illustrators of African Descent. AARLCC also features a 5,000 sq. ft. museum, a 300-seat state-of-the-art theatre, and a Computer Training Center.

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