Take Our New Digital Tour of the African American Burial Grounds

Historic Oakland Foundation has partnered with the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship to increase access to Oakland’s rich history. Visitors will now be able to discover more about Atlanta’s legacy of Black achievement with a free, digital tour of the African American Burial Grounds. This interactive OpenTour experience features residents from Oakland’s popular “We Shall Overcome: African American Stories from Civil War to Civil Rights” tour. Discover the stories of William Finch, Atlanta’s first Black city councilman; pioneer photographer Thomas Askew; beloved music teacher Jessie Murphy Wartman; Peyton Allen, leader of a bicycle boycott and co-founder of Atlanta’s NAACP chapter; and many more Oakland residents.

Want to learn more about a particular resident? The OpenTour platform includes links to blog posts, interviews with descendants, musical productions, and Capturing the Spirit of Oakland performances. The “We Shall Overcome” tour can be used on-site at Oakland, from the comforts of home, or in the classroom. It is available on phones, tablets, and computers.

The Emory Center for Digital Scholarship (ECDS) is a collaborative research center that creates innovative, sustainable models of digital scholarship and publication for public and academic use. Since its formation in 2013, ECDS has worked with faculty, staff, students, partner institutions, and not-for-profit organizations to advance research, pedagogy, and outreach through digital tools and methods. You can find other Atlanta OpenTours at https://opentour.emory.edu.