Cobb County leaders working to get grant funding to preserve 4 Black cemeteries

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County is seeking a grant to help preserve four Black cemeteries through a national nonprofit.

This week, county leaders submitted the grant application to the National Trust for Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

The money would pay for a consultant to perform archaeology surveys for the cemeteries and write a maintenance manual.

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The four African American cemeteries included in the grant proposal are Sardis Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Old Ebenezer Cemetery, Noonday Extension Cemetery, and Little Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery.

“We see this as just the beginning of our plan to address the needs and concerns of our historic African American cemeteries in Cobb,” Bev Jackson, Chairwoman of Cobb’s Historic Preservation Commission, said.

Jackson told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell they need assistance with maintenance, boundary delineation, identification of unknown graves, and recognition.

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“I would like to bring some kind of respectability back to the cemetery,” Alton Williams told Channel 2 Action News. She is one of several county residents whose loved ones are buried at the Little Baptist Church Cemetery.

“As far as being close to my family that’s a good feeling. Bad feeling is how they’ve been treated. They have been totally disrespected and thrown away. I’m hopeful, because that grant will help us at least try to find where the graves are,” Francine McAfee-Wilkins said.

If you would like to get involved to help restore and maintain the historic African American cemeteries, click here.

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