Annual committal ceremony at burial site of unknown slaves gets largest crowd yet
Mayor Jason Hayes and his wife, Anna, joined members of the Omicron Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kapkpa Alpha Sorority at the annual committal ceremony of the burlal sight of enslaved people in Lexington City Cemetery Sunday afternoon. All members of the city council attended the event. Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local
The crowd at the annual committal ceremony of the slave burial site in Lexington City Cemetery had one of the largest groups to date Sunday afternoon in spite of chilly temperatures.
In welcoming the large group who gathered in the small space where a solitary headstone marks multiple unmarked graves, LaWanda Turman, president of the Omicron Psi Omega Chapter of the Alkpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, thanked everyone for coming.
LaWanda Turman, president of the Omicron PKsi Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, welcomes those who came for the annual committal service. Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local
“Your mere presence here shows respect for the anonymous slaves buried here,” she said. “Knowing now this is a shared space, we honor the communal right of coming together again.”
In his convocation, Rev. Alan Suber called the event a celebration of “our decendants, those who made it over and made it out.”
The keynote speaker was Alexis Beverly, who serves as fundraising, said “to live in a time and a place where we do not have to worry about our freeedom…is truly a blessing. Not many people think about their freedom the way that our ancestors did in the time of slavery.”
“The journey toward freedom is not an isolated effort, it is a collective responsibility that requires the collaboration of individuals, communities and government,” Beverly pointed out. And “freedom is not just the absence of physical chains, but the presence of justice, equality and human dignity. It requires us to challenge our own bias and confronting uncomfortable truths.”
While there has been progress, there is more to be done. There is also a need to recognize the contributions the Black community has already made to the world. Recognizing the legacy of those buried in the cemetery is an important part of holding on to important parts of the past as the community works toward a more unified future.
She said a survey of the property showed that there are at least 32 unmarked graves likely belonging to slaves, and it is sad, she said, that we will never know the stories of the people laid to rest there.
Tyrone Terry watches the laying of the wreath at the existing monument at the burial site of unknown slaves in the city cemetery. Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local
Tyrone Terry, who has been instrumental in getting the survey done and for whom the recognition of those buried in the small plot has been a personal mission, said this year’s event was “closure” for him/.
“We started this four years ago. For four years we’ve been coming here for this memorial service, and the fact that there is so much diversity here - this would not have happened four years ago. What I really want is to bring the city, the people, together. They talk about this group and that group - let us all be just one people.
