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A quarter-million dollars in grants has been awarded to two different nonprofits by the D.C. Office of Planning for the care and preservation of historically Black cemeteries in the District.
Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, which oversees Woodlawn Cemetery on Benning Road in Southeast, and the Black Georgetown Foundation, which cares for Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society cemeteries in Northwest, both received $125,000.
Anita Cozart, director of D.C. Office of Planning, told WTOP the groups intend to spend the money differently.
Woodlawn Cemetery will focus on hazardous trees that impede grave sites, add fencing and improve the site’s signage.
“So that it’s very clear that this is a place that you can go and learn about the history of Washington, D.C.,” Cozart said.
The Black Georgetown Foundation will make improvements to its on-site infrastructure and create an online portal that allows people to get more information about the cemeteries, as well as host events on Emancipation Day and Juneteenth.
“This is part of what Mayor Bowser has been really focused on during her term, to make sure that the history and heritage and culture of Black Washingtonians is something that is front and center and couldn’t be more timely than for the kickoff of Black History Month,” Cozart said.
While Woodlawn Cemetery dates back to the late 19th century, both Georgetown cemeteries were established in 1808.
“Our nation had laws of segregation … of course, it extended to cemeteries,” Cozart said. “The ones that were for Black Washingtonians were based on churches that Black Washingtonians, were congregations they were welcomed into.”
Over time, those churches moved to other locations.
“Making sure that there’s maintaining institutions that help to preserve that heritage and culture, that has been a challenge. And so we’re happy to have these grants to do that,” Cozart said.
The two grants are the first to be issued under the Historic Burial Grounds Preservation Program, which was established by the D.C. Council through the Historic African American Burial Grounds Preservation Fund Amendment Act of 2025.
“This grant program is named for Paul Sluby, he was a legal researcher, a historian who really focused on historic burial grounds in the city,” Cozart said. “We’re glad that the activities that the grantees are going to do are going to be something that kids and students can get access to.”
Cozart added that kids who visit may later decide that they want careers in history, heritage preservation and cultural preservation in their own hometown.
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