UPDATE Oct 2: EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

Maplewood Cemetery Guided Tour

Join the Forum for Scholars and Publics and Preservation Durham for a guided tour exploring the history of segregation, inequality, and remembrance in Durham through the stories of local cemeteries and the families connected to them. Centering the experiences of local African American families and examining the histories of Geer, Beechwood, and Hebrew cemeteries, this tour invites participants to consider how burial spaces reflect broader questions of race, community, and access in Durham's past. While discussions will encompass several historic cemeteries, the tour will take place at Maplewood Cemetery.

This is the opening event in Homegoing: An Exploration of African American Mourning, a year-long series developed by Jade Marcum, the 2026-27 Anne Firor Scott Fellow in Public Scholarship.

This gathering introduces many themes that will shape the series, including African American deathways, memorialization, and the enduring relationship between place and memory. By examining how segregation shaped both life and death in Durham, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the ways Durham’s various communities have honored their dead, preserved family histories, and navigated inequities in death and burial. We hope to encourage reflection on the powerful role cemeteries play as sites of mourning, historical memory, and community storytelling.

Key tour details:

• The tour will take place outdoors and will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• There is no on-site toilet access.
• Participants should wear closed-toe shoes.
• Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the tour location.
• This event is free.

Spots are limited, and registration is required. Please sign up at the link below. More details will be sent to registrants.

NOTE: AN UPDATED REGISTRATION LINK WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN WE HAVE A NEW DATE FOR THE TOUR.

Co-sponsored by the Forum @ FHI and Preservation Durham.