WHO WE ARE

The Friends of East End is an all-volunteer nonprofit established in 2017. We grew out of a cleanup effort that began in 2013 at East End Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground in Henrico County, Virginia. The sixteen-acre cemetery, founded in 1897, had been overwhelmed by dense overgrowth and illegal dumping.

With the help of thousands of other volunteers, we have worked steadily for years to clear the vegetation, remove the trash, and recover more than 3,300 hidden grave markers. In tandem with this hands-on restoration, we’ve conducted extensive research to reclaim the history of the cemetery and the community it served (see links to resources below). We also collaborate with other groups working to reclaim historic Black cemeteries in Richmond and beyond.

In partnership with descendants and the broader community, we seek to transform East End and neighboring Evergreen into public sites of memory, contemplation, and beauty that honor Richmond’s African American past and present.

About the cemetery

For more information about East End and the people buried there, please visit eastendcemeteryrva.com. Additional resources include:

  • A DIGITAL MAP of the cemetery, created by the Richmond Cemetery Collaboratory, a partnership of the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Friends of East End. The digital infrastructure for the map was built by Robert K. Nelson and Justin Madron/UR Digital Scholarship Lab, Stephanie Spera/UR Department of Geography and the Environment, and Beth Zizzamia and Taylor Holden/UR Spatial Analysis Lab. 
  • A growing DIGITAL ARCHIVE, a searchable repository of records and research, also created by the Collaboratory.
  • After a long COVID hiatus, work on the EAST END ORAL HISTORY PROJECT has resumed as of early 2024.
  • Cemetery FACT SHEET, for a quick overview of East End and the reclamation effort (updated February 2020)
  • SURVEY OF VETERANS’ MARKERS (updated June 2020)

Recent Posts

Sign Our Petition to Protect Richmond’s Historic African American Cemeteries

by ehp

With direct support from the state of Virginia and abundant taxpayer money, Parity LLC—a company created by the executive director of the Enrichmond Foundation—acquired East End and Evergreen Cemeteries with negligible public disclosure and without substantive involvement of descendants or the citizens responsible for reclaiming large portions of those historic African American burial grounds. Parity/Enrichmond … Continue reading Sign Our Petition to Protect Richmond’s Historic African American Cemeteries

Open Letter to Governor Northam Regarding Richmond’s African American Cemeteries

by ehp

This morning, descendants of people laid to rest in our city’s historic African American burial grounds, as well as members of the broader Black community, sent Governor Northam an open letter expressing their concerns about alarming developments at East End and Evergreen Cemeteries in Richmond and Henrico County. We invite you to read the full … Continue reading Open Letter to Governor Northam Regarding Richmond’s African American Cemeteries

East End Cemetery Descendants in Conversation

by ehp

Moderated by Alicia K. Aroche, multimedia artist and storyteller whose work focuses on community engagement, racial justice, and healing  This virtual event brings together students, faculty, and community members to explore the history of East End Cemetery, honor the people laid to rest there, and contribute to a shared vision of its future. We will … Continue reading East End Cemetery Descendants in Conversation

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