Across the United States, historic Black cemeteries — sacred resting places for generations of enslaved and free African Americans — have been desecrated, paved over, and erased.

From New York’s African Burial Ground to Richmond’s Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, these sites have faced grave robbing, construction, and government neglect. Some were sold to private companies. Others were built over by highways or gas stations. Many were never marked, fenced, or recorded at all. The result is not just physical destruction — it’s historical erasure.

This is not just a local issue. It’s a national shame.

Shockoe Hill in Richmond, Virginia, is believed to hold the remains of over 22,000 people — making it one of the largest burial grounds for Black Americans in the country. And yet, portions of this land were sold to Shell in 1960. A gas station was built over human graves. Even after the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, federal projects have continued nearby without proper review.

And Shockoe is just one of many.

Today, countless other Black cemeteries remain unprotected and unknown, leaving them vulnerable to development, vandalism, and decay. These burial grounds deserve more than plaques and promises. They deserve legal protections, funding, and federal recognition.

We call on the United States Congress to:

• Pass legislation that creates federal protections for historic Black cemeteries, modeled on laws that protect Indigenous burial sites and national landmarks.
• Establish a national registry of endangered African American burial grounds, with funding for documentation, fencing, and preservation.
• Ensure that descendant communities have decision-making power over how these sacred spaces are protected and remembered.
   

No community should have to fight alone to preserve the dignity of their ancestors. These burial grounds are not just part of Black history — they are part of American history. And they must be treated with the respect, care, and legal protection they deserve.

Sign this petition to demand Congress take action now. The past cannot be restored — but justice can still be served.

Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/Redux for CNN