MLK Day Outreach Brings History to Life
Georgia-Cumberland Academy (GCA), Coble Elementary School, and Calhoun Pathfinder Club partnered together in service to commemorate the work of Martin Luther King Jr.
Joining forces, faculty, students, parents, and Pathfinders pooled resources to learn and serve in three cemeteries in the area which had fallen into disrepair: Colbert Cemetery, Zuber Cemetery, and a small cemetery located on the campus of GCA. Zuber and Colbert cemeteries contained the remains of individuals that were enslaved on nearby plantations, as well as those who lived during segregation who were not allowed to be interred in “white” cemeteries.
Mr. and Mrs. Boone, caretakers of the Zuber Cemetery, shared with volunteers that although there were 120 graves marked with stones or white crosses, they estimate 300 to 400 unidentified remains dot the property. Ground erosion leaves the land with lumps outlining the final resting space of those too poor for any other marker, and students carefully cleared vines and leaves from rocks, chains, and glass jars marking remains of others. Students carefully traced the names and dates of individuals, noting that some came from times before the Civil War. Boone, a descendent of slaves from a nearby plantation, counted some of these individuals in his family lineage.
The Colbert Cemetery, located within the city of Calhoun, served families segregated by race. Here, too, students and families witnessed the scarred earth, recognizing that slavery and segregation aren’t just located in history books, but sadly mar the collective local history. Blowing leaves, picking up sticks, and clearing brush not only provided a moment of learning for all, but, prayerfully, also a moment to recommit to the dreams of equality and opportunity espoused by Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus.
Georgia-Cumberland | March 2024
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