I had been wrestling with the topic of my first blog post. What should it be about? Should it be about me? Which of the many pressing issues should I tackle first? Should it be lighthearted? Serious? Would anyone even read it?

The Call.

A woman who lived in Washington D.C. called about a historic black cemetery in North Carolina.  I could not, for the life of me, figure out how she got to me or why. I am in Alabama.  Then it dawned on me.  She was desperate.  She just started calling anyone who would listen and could potentially offer a suggestion. So I decided to make the post about her and the needs of independent preservationists and historians.

 I listened.  

She told me who she was and how she became affiliated with the cemetery. She started a nonprofit twenty years ago to care for it and the enslaved people buried there. Years ago, she helped to have them identified. She said she is getting older.  Her friends, and partners in preservation, are passing on. 

What I heard was, we need to step up. 

History and historic preservation doesn’t just happen at the institutional level. There are many everyday people who see a need and step up to fill it.  We should support them. We cannot take for granted that these spaces will exist in perpetuity.  Who will care for them if not us? Many stewards of our history are older, less tech savvy, and really out there doing the work alone. They navigate their own personal issues and health challenges as they do so. Money is always needed. Regular people who are not well off are paying out of their own pockets to preserve our history. It costs money to keep the gravestones clear and the grass cut. 

What can you do? 

Anything, really.  Volunteer time.  Sit on a board. Donate skills. Tap into your network. Write a grant. Help identify funding sources. Build a website. Launch a Go Fund Me. Use your social media platform to raise awareness for their cause. Find a local historic site near you and ask what they need. If you feel compelled to help preserve history, there is ample opportunity to be engaged as little or as much that makes sense for you.  It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture to be an impactful gift. Please remember grants have been cut. Individuals and small organizations are struggling too.

A link is below just FYI.  It is older, but that just goes to show how long this gracious woman has been doing this work. If you feel compelled and able, please support her or any other small historic site or organization. It is more urgent now than perhaps ever.

 Friends of Old Westview Cemetery in Wadesboro seeks government funds | Anson Record