Bethany Cemetery was founded in the late 1800s when the segregated section of the nearby city-run Oakwood Cemetery no longer offered burial space for Black residents. Today, community members help preserve its legacy.
Bethany Cemetery was founded in the late 1800s when the segregated section of the nearby city-run Oakwood Cemetery no longer offered burial space for Black residents.
After some research, Spears discovered what and who was hidden beneath the six acres of weeds and littered grounds on Springdale Road: a neglected cemetery holding the legacy of more than 500 Black lives. She soon began organizing cemetery cleanups, a mighty feat for a long-neglected property. At first, the cleanups were brutal. Community members used chainsaws to hack through weeds and overgrown grass. They removed abandoned vehicles and litter. Clearing the property took a lot of people-power and several years work.Sue Spears, president of the Bethany Cemetery Association, has worked to clean up and protect the East Austin cemetery.
Spears leads the efforts to this day through the Bethany Cemetery Association. But what began for her as land restoration work has evolved into a round-the-clock job of advocacy and preservation asfounded in the late 1800s
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