Georgia Town to Honor Graves of African-Americans

The previously unmarked graves of more than 1,100 black souls buried in a Gainesville, Georgia, cemetery will be honored with a memorial to be dedicated Sunday, AP reports. Alta Vista Cemetery dates back to the 1870s and was segregated until the mid-1960s. Recently, the city discovered the extent of the unmarked graves using ground-penetrating radar.

City and community leaders worked together to create the monument, born out of a desire for racial healing and reconciliation after the Charleston church shootings in 2015. The graves are also marked with a numbered silver medallion. Organizers are also hoping to identify descendants of the buried using historical records and family documents. Anyone who believes their loved one may be buried at Alta Vista should contact the cemetery.

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