AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY PRESERVATION FUND
OUR MISSION
The African American cemeteries of Chattanooga are an integral part of understanding the history of Chattanooga. However, due to indifference and lack of funding, their preservation has often been neglected. In 2018, the African American Cemetery Preservation Fund (AACPF) was created with an $8,500 donation from the Sankofa Fund for Civic Engagement and the Benwood Foundation. Today, the fund’s objective remains the same: restore and preserve two exclusively African American cemeteries native to Chattanooga, Pleasant Garden and Beck Knob cemeteries. Additionally, the AACPF endeavors to become a model for other groups seeking to restore and preserve African American cemeteries. In doing so, AACPF protects and enriches Chattanooga’s history.
WHO WE ARE
We are volunteers united in our passion to preserve and restore the forgotten historic African American cemeteries of our city and to bring awareness to their plight.
