Mt. Hope Cemetery: Segregated cemetery from 1800s holds stories of Raleigh's Black leaders

A crowd of around 50 people gathered for a walking tour of the rolling green hills of Mt. Hope Cemetery, where the skyline of Raleigh casts a vivid backdrop over the headstones and trees.

Organizer Shelley M. Winters, President of the Winters Foundation, wore a shirt reading "Busy making my ancestors proud" as she gathered the crowd together at Mt. Hope Cemetery in downtown Raleigh.

"It's my passion to make sure the stories of Black history in Raleigh are kept alive, and continue to be highlighted so they are remembered," said Winters to the crowd.

Some visitors were there to pay respect by learning about our city's Black history for the first time. Others were there to honor a history that is already deeply personal. Some even laid roses on their family member plots.

Mt. Hope Cemetery was founded in 1872 as one of the first municipal African-American cemeteries in North Carolina. It was established after the City Cemetery's African American section became full. Raleigh bought around 11 acres on the southern outskirts of Raleigh for additional burial grounds.

Over 7,000 people are buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, according to records, but there are only around 1,500 monuments.

Mt. Hope holds monuments for many prominent members of the Black community from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Buried here are stories from major historic and cultural hubs like Black Main Street, Stronach's Alley, the Lightner Arcade & Hotel, Hamlin's Drug Store and even St. Agnes Hospital.

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Not to mention the thousands of other Black men and women who helped make Raleigh what it is today.

Winters is President of The Winters Foundation, which has a focus on sharing and highlighting the history and people of Raleigh.

"Specifically Black Raleigh and Southeast Raleigh, so their efforts and contributions won't be forgotten," she said. "We stand on their shoulders."

Winters organized a tour of Mt. Hope Cemetery last Juneteenth, and she plans to continue the tradition next year as well.