The Geography of Race -- Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta GA
N 33° 44.908 W 084° 22.270
16S E 743513 N 3737372
A historic marker regarding the interesting The Geography of Race that developed in Oakland Cemetery and in the American South
Waymark Code: WMWQF1
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 10/02/2017
Views: 6
This historic marker is located in the former Slave Square area of Oakland Cemetery, where the interred remains of slaves were dug up and reburied without monuments in the 1870s to make room for more white burials.
The marker, placed by the Historic Oakland Foundation, reads as follows:
The Geography of Race
The African-American burial ground at Oakland Cemetery demonstrates racial segregation in America -- in life and in death. From 1866 until the end of legal segregation of public facilities in Atlanta in 1963, African-American burials were restricted to this section adjacent to land set aside for burials of the poor. The segregation of the cemetery reflects the segregation of everyday life -- in education, business, leisure, and worship. While many maintained that segregation provided "separate but equal" conditions for both races, the reality of life in the South was that African-Americans were often forced to accept inferior facilities and services. In a region dominated by racial prejudice, even the most successful and accomplished African-Americans in Atlanta could neither buy nor earn the right to be treated equally with whites, even in death.
(Top bottom left, and right: signs indicating racist exclusions [illegible]. Courtesy: Library of Congress)
(Bottom, middle: students protesting racial segregation at a lunch counter [illegible]"
Type of Marker: Other
Sponsor: Historic Oakland foundation
Marker #: Not listed
Date: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, yourself at the marker, your gps at the marker, or anything specific to the text on the marker. And don't forget to enjoy your visit.