Caroline Espinosa Ashley Fimbel Hannah Fisher Thomas Foy East End Cemetery Caroline Espinosa Ashley Fimbel Hannah Fisher Thomas Foy

Location On the border of Henrico County and Richmond Down a dirt path with no parking 50 Evergreen Road Richmond, VA 23223 East End Cemetery is one of multiple historically African American cemeteries in Richmond’s east end. It is about a 10 minute car ride or a 35 minute bike ride from campus. Another notable cemetery in the area is Evergreen Cemetery. East End and Evergreen neighbor each other.

General History Established in 1897 All African American in response to the Jim Crow era An estimated 13,000 graves in 16 acres of land Historical figures buried: Rosa L. Dixon Bowser, William M. Custalo, Hezekiah F. Jonathan Abandoned by 1970 East End Cemetery was established by the East End Burial Association in 1897 after a failed attempt six years earlier. Because African Americans were not welcome in white cemeteries such as Hollywood and Oakwood, Richmond’s African American community made a few cemeteries of their own, including East End and Evergreen. The Association responsible was not affiliated with the government, and it required the families of the deceased to maintain the graves rather than providing maintenance as a service. Either no official burial records were taken, or they were all destroyed. This means that we do not know for sure who was buried or how many people were laid to rest at East End. There is an estimated 13,000 graves in the cemetery, though, and the land spans 16 acres. Of those 13,000 there are a number of local heroes. Rosa L. Dixon Bowser is known for being the first African American female teacher in Richmond. William M. Custalo and Hezekiah F. Jonathan were wealthy and successful business men from Richmond. Jonathan was the vice president of a local bank. In response to poor treatment in the south, African American people started moving from the area in the early twentieth century. This meant that the families of the deceased were forced to abandon the graves and could no longer maintain them. This process was gradual, and the family members who stayed in the South eventually died out. As such, the cemetery was not truly abandoned until about 1970.

Current State Graves buried under dirt, vegetation, and trash Many broken or stolen gravestones No government responsibility More of a forest than a cemetery In 1919, a new city law required all new cemeteries to provide permanent maintenance to all graves as part of the overall cost. Because East End was established in 1897, this law did not apply to the cemetery. As such, the owners were not and are not legally obligated to do anything for the cemetery. Since this is a private cemetery, the government is also not responsible. As a result of not being maintained since 1970, East End Cemetery is a mess. Out of the 13,000 graves that are estimated to be there, only about 2,100 of them have been found. Others have been hidden under decades worth of dirt, vines, and grasses. The cemetery was used illegally as a dumping grounds for a few years, so bottles, tires, and furniture among other things have been found discarded there. Gravestones have been vandalized and even stolen, as well.

General Issues Disrespect towards the deceased buried in the cemetery Difficulties for families of the deceased Not only is the state of East End visually unappealing, but the decaying serves as a source of difficulty for families of those deceased as well as disrespect towards them and the deceased themselves. Those who wish to visit the resting places of their family members may have issue with the state of the cemetery, finding it difficult to navigate through the overgrown greenery and litter. Not only does the physical state cause the obvious strain on the emotions of relatives of the deceased but the apathy that has lead to the decay of the cemetery has unsettling connotations in regards to racism when historical context

Further Connotations There are other cemeteries in similar situations as well as in similar states of disrepair. Cemeteries inhabited by the graves of confederate soldiers are in less severe states of disrepair. Not only does the physical state cause the obvious strain on the emotions of relatives of the deceased but the apathy that has lead to the decay of the cemetery has unsettling connotations in regards to racism when historical context is taken into consideration. Even in cemeteries that are more well maintained, there is controversy as to where the graves of confederate slaves are. In almost every situation, one common factor seems to be that the African American graves aren’t being held to the same degree of respect as with other burial sites.

What is being done? Hundreds of volunteers help maintain the cemetery currently No large machinery is used. All the work is done by hand. Volunteers generally have no personal ties to the cemetery, but a few volunteers hope to uncover the remains of their families throughout the maintenance process. John Shuck, a former bank employee from Iowa, currently leads the project to recover East End Cemetery. He has no family ties to East End Cemetery, or even the city of Richmond, but he has put more than three years into this particular cemetery, as well as a few more years cleaning up the neighboring Evergreen Cemetery (McQuade)

Thumbs up for yes & thumbs down for no Should East End continue to be privately owned? -legal loopholes allow for it to not have to be taken care of -government owned organizations i.e. National Historical Site operate on trusts and tax credits Is America’s unrecognized past more important than what is taught? -College Board revised A.P. U.S. History to push “American exceptionalism” Is East End’s continued neglect representative of America’s current bias? -more than one historical cemetery in Richmond, it would be costly and redundant to restore them all -lack of knowledge or economic incentive to restore lost cemeteries Should those whose relatives buried in East End receive some type of compensation? -work against incentives renovate East End because it would cost even more money to provide compensation and clean up and maintain it -

Works Cited Bailey, Nannette. “John Shuck: Bringing Light to East End Cemetery.” ASPiRE. Virginia Commonwealth University, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. Gambino, Lauren. “Revised AP History Students Will Push ‘American Exceptionalism” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 30 July 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. McQuade, Greg. “Hero Cleaning Neglected East End Cemetery Uncovers Dozens of Graves.” WTVRcom. Tibune Media Company, 31 July 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. Palmer, Brian, and Erin Palmer Hollaway. “Reclaiming Black History, One Grave at a Time.” The Nation. The Nation, 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016 Shuck, John. “About the Cemetery.” East End Cemetery Next Work Day. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016