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Hundreds of volunteers collaborate to clean up African American cemetery in Lancaster County

Hundreds of volunteers, including police, judges, probation officers, and more, have come together to get the Stevens Greenland Cemetery ready for Memorial Day.

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Volunteers say a cemetery in Lancaster County is finally getting the care it deserves. They've spent six weekends at Stevens Greenland Cemetery in Lancaster Township where they are getting it ready for Memorial Day.

Organizers say the cleanup efforts are bringing hundreds of people together and teaching them about the history behind the headstones.

"I never saw the cemetery look this good," said Nelson Polite Jr.

His family is buried at the cemetery.

"I've been coming out for 65 years. My father brought me out here when I was five. When I first came out here, the weeds were taller than me. I'd get lost in them, and we did it with a sickle," said Polite Jr. 

Flash forward to 2021: People are using brushes to scrape dirt off of the headstones.

"It's a lot whiter, a lot brighter than it originally was," said Sheryl Meck, a probation officer.

They're also setting plants in time for a Memorial Day Ceremony.

"You realize you're cleaning headstones of children, veterans, these were mothers, fathers, daughters, sons," explained Meck.

Behind each headstone, there is a story of an African American who may not have been allowed to rest elsewhere 

"You have to remember when this cemetery was started all the cemeteries were segregated. You'd find blacks [in those] because they either worked for a member, or go back further, they were the slaves," said Dr. Leroy Hopkins, a retired professor of Millersville University.

"It just made it that more meaningful: They had lives, and they deserve a spot to be at rest," said Meck.

The push to respect their lives and preserve history came after George Floyd's death. Law enforcement, judges, probation officers, and more have collaborated for a common cause.

"There is a new sensitivity to Black Lives Matter, and Black Lives Matter that were still matter," added Dr. Hopkins.

"I am half white, half Filipino, my son is half-Black, half-Filipino," added Meck. "With all the issues that have been going on with racial tensions and working as a probation officer, I believe in both: I believe in the battle for humanity, and I also believe in the need for law enforcement, so coming together for a project like this, it means a lot to me because it shows we can come together for a better future."

Nelson Polite Jr. says his ancestors would be rejoicing

"They are so delighted. This is what they hoped for. This is what they prayed for. This is what they fought for," he said.

Volunteers will be back at the cemetery tomorrow at 9 a.m. to finish what they started. The ceremony on Memorial Day is set for 11 a.m.

The cemetery is located on 1200 South Duke Street.

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