Huntsville Parks & Recreation: Historic African American Cemetery Earns Nationwide Recognition By way of Civil Rights Community

2021-03-15

A new federal designation could help preserve Glenwood Cemetery in Huntsville, the city’s oldest surviving black cemetery.

An integral part of the city’s history, Glenwood is the resting place of people who were born slaves, emancipated and spent the rest of their days in the separated but equal South.

“The civil rights movement has deep roots here in the Tennessee Valley,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “The stories revealed at Glenwood are critical to how we look at the past. The lessons they teach us will be critical to how we move forward.”

Slaves, community leaders, and vanguard of the Reconstruction era are buried in Glenwood Cemetery, including the first black doctor, the first black women to vote, educators, political leaders, and veterans. These people laid the foundation for a prominent, productive, and fairer community.

In 2017, Congress passed an act to establish the African American Civil Rights Network, under the direction of the National Park Service (NPS), that encompasses all programs related to the civil rights movement. Owner approval is required, and the property must be affiliated with the civil rights movement and eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The network also includes institutions and programs of educational, research or interpretative nature directly related to the civil rights movement.

An application to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN) was recently approved for the Glenwood Cemetery property.

The AACRN committee was pleased to add Glenwood Cemetery to the network and to publish information about the historical significance of the cemetery and its role in the reconstruction.

“This is the kind of recognition that will help secure grants for this historic site,” said Joy McKee, Huntsville’s director of landscape management, cemeteries and Operation Green team.

Ollye Conley, a retired Huntsville teacher who received a President’s award for the work of her classes in the cemetery, is excited about the opportunities the AACRN designation brings.

“Glenwood is the final resting place of former enslaved people and their first generation descendants,” she said. “The cemetery is a memorial to the presence of African Americans in this city from the very beginning until today. Many of the main people responsible for the development of this city are buried there. It is imperative that this historic place be preserved for future generations to learn from their contributions. We need to keep documenting and institutionalizing their history and telling stories. “

A historic resource survey and NRPH nomination was recently completed for Edmonton Heights, a historically black neighborhood near Alabama A&M University. A country-level review will take place next month before the NPS begins its review.

More information about the African American Civil Rights Network through the National Park Service can be found here.

This news release was prepared by the Department of Parks and Recreation for the City of Huntsville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.