COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Palmetto Cemetery is more than a burial ground. Established in 1920 during segregation, it became one of the few places where African American families in Columbia could lay their loved ones to rest with dignity.
Today, the cemetery stands as the largest community-formed Black cemetery in the area and a powerful symbol of history, memory, and grassroots preservation.
On this episode of Awareness, Billie Jean Shaw takes viewers inside the ongoing effort to protect Palmetto Cemetery, reconnect descendants with their family history, and preserve a sacred site that tells a larger story about Black life, resilience, and community stewardship in South Carolina…