CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A nationally recognized scholar on burial ground preservation will speak in Charleston on Monday during a free community lecture at Mother Emanuel AME Church.
Dr. Michael Blakey, a professor at William & Mary and a leading expert on the ethics of protecting historic burial grounds, will discuss his work on the African Burial Ground Project in New York City. His research helped bring national attention to the site and led to the establishment of the African Burial Ground National Monument in 2006.
Organizers say Blakey’s visit comes at a pivotal moment in Charleston. The former public cemetery at 106 Coming St., where as many as 12,000 people were buried, is the proposed site of a college dorm. Preservation and community groups argue the property has significant potential for memorialization and education, similar to the New York project Blakey helped lead…