Volunteers in Cedar Rapids archive the ‘forgotten’ graves of Black Iowans lost to time

CEDAR RAPIDS — The preservation of the history and ancestry of Black Iowans drew volunteers to Cedar Rapids’ Oak Hill Cemetery Saturday morning.

A group of more than a dozen members of the local religious and Black communities ventured through the cemetery in southeast Cedar Rapids, placing temporary plaques and archiving the final resting places of 28 Black Iowans whose graves remain unmarked.

Using cemetery records and historical research, the volunteers identified, geolocated and archived the location of the graves and logged the information in the Billion Graves database.

The Rescuing our Roots project, as it is called, started with the Cedar Rapids branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints in September 2022. The group’s goal is to document and transcribe one million gravestones by Sept. 30 this year.

The project was started by Joseph Miller, president of the Cedar Rapids branch of the Latter-day Saints, after he realized that Iowans who died before 1880 would not have a public record of their existence, only their tombstones remain to remember them. Now, with the Billion Graves movement spreading world wide, they aim to create a permanent online archive of these graves forgotten by history.

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Miller told the group at the cemetery on Saturday a story of a local Baptist minister who had forgotten the location of his brother’s grave. Miller shared how he helped him find and archive the grave.

Pastor Leoma Leigh-Williams from Bethel AME Church carries the grave marker for Charles Boone before searching for his gravesite at Oak Hill Cemetery in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Temporary markers were placed at the graves of 28 African American Iowans at the cemetery as part of the Rescuing Our Roots project. Six of the 28 were members of Leigh-Williams's church. Pictures of the markers and their GPS locations will be uploaded to the Billion Graves database. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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St. Calvin Nwokem, 8, places the temporary grave marker for Dorothy Robinson at her gravesite as he and his mother Jacqueline Kahando (not shown) and younger brother St. Valentina (right) Nwokem, 6, volunteer during the Rescuing Our Roots project at Oak Hill Cemetery in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kahando, came to the United States 14 years ago and has been in Cedar Rapids for about two years, wanted to get involved in the African American community in Cedar Rapids and give her sons experiences that open up conversations at the dinner table. Temporary markers were placed at the graves of 28 African American Iowans at the cemetery as part of the Rescuing Our Roots project. Pictures of the markers and their GPS locations will be uploaded to the Billion Graves database. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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St. Calvin Nwokem, 8, carries the temporary grave marker for Dorothy Robinson as he searches for the corresponding gravesite with his mother Jacqueline Kahando (right) and younger brother St. Valentina Nwokem, 6, at Oak Hill Cemetery in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kahando, came to the United States 14 years ago and has been in Cedar Rapids for about two years, wanted to get involved in the African American community in Cedar Rapids and give her sons experiences that open up conversations at the dinner table. Temporary markers were placed at the graves of 28 African American Iowans at the cemetery as part of the Rescuing Our Roots project. Pictures of the markers and their GPS locations will be uploaded to the Billion Graves database. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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Ben Miller (foreground, right), 10, reaches for the temporary grave marker for Susan Pugh held by his sister Lucy (second from left), 7, as they take part in the Rescuing Our Roots project at Oak Hill Cemetery in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Also pictured from left: Madelyn, 4, Lucy, mother Heidi, Ben, Rebekah, 14, and Kaitlyn, 13. Temporary markers were placed at the graves of 28 African American Iowans at the cemetery as part of the Rescuing Our Roots project. Pictures of the markers and their GPS locations will be uploaded to the Billion Graves database. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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“We were able to locate his brother's marker right away and shortly after Easter we honored his brother,” Miller said. “It was very touching experience for us.”

LaNisha Cassell, executive director of the African American Museum of Iowa, emphasized the importance of history and ancestry for many Black Iowans during her remarks before the memorial service honoring the 28 people whose graves were located.

“Throughout history we have endured unimaginable hardships — our ancestors faced adversity and held unwavering resilience without breaking,” Cassell said. “It is crucial that we acknowledge and embrace the American story for it is a story that shapes our collective and individual identity and informs our present troubles and aspirations.”

Cassell said the Black Iowans remembered at the ceremony were from Cedar Rapids and throughout Iowa.

"We're also reminded of the remarkable contributions of these individuals — art, literature, science and countless other fields,“ Cassell said. ”Exploring our past reveals a rich tapestry of creativity and intellectual resilience and influence in our city, our state, our country, even our world in immeasurable ways.

“When we reclaim our histories, we empower ourselves to shape a future that embraces our full potential. We send a powerful message that we will not be forgotten, but we will continue to strive for justice and equality,” she said. “So let us remember that the journey towards a more equitable society is a collective endeavor that requires the active engagement of all together, let's build bridges of understanding, empathy and respect."

Comments: 319-368-8877; liam.halawith@thegazette.com