New T-shirt Honors the Historic African American Burial Grounds

We are proud to celebrate the rich history and vibrant cultural heritage of the historic African American Burial Grounds at Oakland with the newest addition to our line of Oakland apparel, the Historic African American Grounds t-shirt.

The vibrant design of our newest t-shirt was created by local illustrator Jose Gil. It symbolizes our ongoing commitment to preserving Oakland’s historic African American Burial Grounds and to telling the stories and recognizing the contributions of the people buried within.

Oakland’s historic African American Burial Grounds—which comprise 3.5 acres in the northeastern corner of the cemetery next to Potter’s Field—are the site of over 12,000 known burials plus more than 800 unmarked graves. They were the focus of a much-needed restoration project starting in late 2016. The stories and graves uncovered during this restoration have allowed Historic Oakland Foundation’s programming (tours, special events, programs, and in the Visitors Center) to tell a more complete story of Atlanta’s history.

Like other municipal facilities, Oakland Cemetery was segregated until the 1960s. The historic African American Burial Grounds are the final resting place for entrepreneurs, educators, ministers, physicians, and many other prominent citizens who helped shape the city’s history, as well as ordinary citizens. Within the boundaries of this section, it is possible to trace the history of slavery, emancipation, segregation, and the early development of the Civil Rights Movement. Historic Oakland Foundation is committed to truth-telling and sharing the whole history of Atlanta, including the injustices faced by many of its citizens.

Available exclusively in Oakland’s online Museum Store in sizes from small to XXL, priced from $18.99-19.99.

All proceeds from this t-shirt support Historic Oakland Foundation’s mission to preserve, restore, enhance, and share historic Oakland Cemetery.