MEMPHIS, Tenn– A major event was held benefiting efforts to restore a historic Memphis cemetery.
More than 100 people attended the Sixth Annual Benefit Program for the Zion Community Project.
The dinner, held Thursday night on the Rhodes College campus, is a fundraiser for the Zion Christian Cemetery on South Parkway.
Several city and county officials, along with volunteers and bishops with the CME Church, were in attendance.
Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell was the keynote speaker. He talked about the importance of learning more about our history and he applauded the volunteer spirit of those who’ve worked to cleanup and restore Zion Christian Cemetery.
Awards were also handed out Thursday night. The group City Leadership received the Distinguished Service Award and “24:7” College Ministry from Iowa was presented the Public Service Award. WREG’s Alex Coleman served as emcee.
According the Zion Community Project’s website, many historical events are associated with this cemetery. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, numerous black victims were buried there. While most white citizens left the city, many African-Americans stayed behind to care for the sick, and the Pallbearers Association of the United Sons of Zion helped prevent looting and maintain order.
Zion Cemetery is also the burial-place of the three black merchants (Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell and William Stewart) who were victims of the 1892 lynchings that inspired the international anti-lynching crusade of Ida B. Wells, editor and owner of the Memphis newspaper Freedom of Speech.
In addition, the cemetery is the resting place of numerous black citizens whose achievements contributed greatly to local, state and national history. Many others are buried there whose names are not well-known or have been lost but who are nonetheless deserving of our respect and gratitude.
After many decades of use, Zion Cemetery fell into disuse and became overgrown with vegetation. The Zion Cemetery Project works to clear the cemetery and maintain this important Memphis heritage location, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.