As Juneteenth drew near, Austinites gathered at the city's first Black cemetery, Bethany Cemetery, to honor the past and celebrate freedom. The event included exhibits, a salute, and a commemorative calling of names along with a prayer, as reported by KXAN. Bethany Cemetery, which was created in the late 1800s when Austin's African American community outgrew Oakwood Cemetery, serves as a poignant landmark of history and remembrance.
The celebration was described by Sue Spears, president of the Bethany Cemetery Association, who noted the importance of not forgetting those who were enslaved, lived through emancipation, and were present at the first Juneteenth. "It's important that they not be forgotten," Spears expressed, underlining the event's significance in sharing the heritage of Black East Austinites, as per information obtained by KXAN.
One participant, Ka'Sheda Bonner-Bey, discovered the burial sites of several of her ancestors during the event — a find that brought genealogical pursuits and family history into sharp focus. "Once we remember, the history is less likely to be lost through time," Bonner-Bey told KVUE. Her discovery underscores the personal connections that such events can foster as families reconnect with their lineage.
Spears, who has dedicated years to preserving the cemetery, emphasized the celebration's role in fostering community pride, "It brings about cohesiveness, it brings back pride to the community, and it also lets the community know that the people that are buried here actually build the East Austin community," she told KVUE. Last year, her work became even more critical when development threatened to disturb the cemetery's sacred ground. Yet, through advocacy, the city and developers have agreed to a restrictive covenant ensuring oversight from historical commissions, and archaeologists on hand during adjacent construction projects to protect unmarked graves.
This remembrance celebration is not merely about a glance into the past, but the continuous effort to preserve a culture, the dignity of ancestors, and the identity of a community shaped by the very souls that rest in the earth of Bethany Cemetery. Spears, though without personal family ties to the cemetery, feels a profound connection to the site, "I'm a native Austinite, born and raised here, and so I have a connection to the souls that are here," she expressed, signaling the shared responsibility felt by many in Austin to honor their collective history.
