South-View Cemetery facts for kids

South-View Cemetery is a very old cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. It was started by African-American leaders. It is about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta. This cemetery is still used today and covers over 100 acres. It is the oldest African-American cemetery in Atlanta. It is also the oldest African-American company of its kind in the whole country.

South-View Cemetery began in 1886. Many important leaders from the Civil Rights Movement are buried here. These include Julian Bond and John Lewis. Martin Luther King Jr. was first buried here. Later, his grave was moved to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta.

History of South-View Cemetery

South-View Cemetery was started in February 1886. Nine African-American businessmen worked together to create it. Some of these men were Jacob McKinley, George W. Graham, and Albert Watts. They wanted a safe and respectful place for their families to be buried. This was important because of the challenges faced by African Americans after the Civil War. The State of Georgia officially approved the cemetery in April 1886.

Albert H. Watts, a grandson of one of the founders, led the cemetery from 1977 to 2001. Today, the President is Winifred Hemphill. Many people working at the cemetery now are also descendants of the original founders.

Some parts of the cemetery have "perpetual care." This means money is set aside to care for the graves forever. Other older parts do not have this care. Because of this, some older areas have not been kept up as well. In 2004, a special foundation was created. This group helps raise money to preserve and care for the historic parts of the cemetery.

You can take a cell phone tour of the cemetery. This tour was made with Oakland Cemetery. It tells you about the African Americans buried in both places. You can get a map at the visitor's center. Each of the 14 stops has a special marker. You can call a phone number and enter the stop number to hear information.

In 2011, the cemetery celebrated its 125th birthday. Atlanta's mayor, Kasim Reed, gave it the city's Phoenix Award. This award recognized the cemetery's important contributions to the city.

Notable People Buried at South-View

Many important people are buried at South-View Cemetery. Twenty-two people here have schools in the Atlanta Public Schools named after them. Most of the pastors from Atlanta's famous Ebenezer Baptist Church are buried here. The only exception is Martin Luther King Jr., who is at the King National Historic Park.

Veterans from every war since World War I are buried here. This includes two members of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. Every December since 2010, a special ceremony is held here. It is part of the Wreaths Across America program.

Here are some of the notable people buried at South-View:

• Hank Aaron (1934-2021): A legendary baseball player. He broke Babe Ruth's home run record. He finished his career with 755 home runs.
• Moses Amos: Georgia's first African-American pharmacist.
• Ludie Clay Andrews: The first African-American nurse licensed in Georgia.
• Samuel Howard Archer: The 5th president of Morehouse College. Several Atlanta schools are named after him.
• Walt Bellamy (1939-2013): A Hall of Fame professional basketball player. He won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Games. He played for 14 seasons in the NBA.
• Fred C. Bennette: A civil rights leader and aide to Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Jesse B. Blayton: A radio business owner and civil rights activist.

The grave of Horace A. Bohannon, a Tuskegee Airman.

• Horace A. Bohannon: A Tuskegee Airman. He helped start the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen in 1976.
• Horace Mann Bond (1904-1972): A well-known historian and educator. He was the father of Julian Bond. He led several historically black colleges.
• Julian Bond (1940-2015): A very important Civil Rights Leader. He was a former chairman of the NAACP. He also helped start the Southern Poverty Law Center.
• William Holmes Borders: A civil rights activist and pastor.
• Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen: A writer and activist.
• John W. E. Bowen Sr.: A clergyman and educator.
• Brailsford R. Brazeal: A professor of economics at Morehouse College and civil rights leader.
• Larry Brown: A football player killed in the Southern Airways Flight 932 crash.
• Raymond Holmes Carter: A medical doctor who served in World War I.
• Alice Dugged Cary: A librarian at the Auburn Avenue library.
• Carrie Cunningham: Owner of the Royal Peacock Club and Royal Hotel.
• Frank Cunningham: President of Morris Brown College.
• John Wesley Dobbs: A major civic leader, sometimes called the "mayor" of Auburn Avenue.
• Mattiwilda Dobbs: A famous opera singer.
• Eleanor Guest: An original member of the music group Gladys Knight & the Pips.
• William Guest: A member of Gladys Knight & the Pips.
• Grace Towns Hamilton: The first African-American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly.
• John and Billie Harden: Owners of the Atlanta Black Crackers baseball team.
• Charles Lincoln Harper: The first principal of Booker T. Washington High School.
• Geneva Haugabrooks: One of the few women business owners in the Sweet Auburn Historic District.
• Freddye Scarborough Henderson: She created the first black-owned travel agency in the Southeast.
• Adrienne McNeil Herndon: An educator and actress. She was the wife of Alonzo Herndon.
• Alonzo Herndon: One of the first Black millionaires in the United States.
• John Hicks: A jazz pianist.
• Jesse Hill: Former President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and civil rights activist.
• Graham W. Jackson Sr.: An organist and pianist.
• Virginia Lacy Jones: A librarian at Atlanta University.
• Alberta Williams King: The mother of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Alfred Daniel Williams King: A civil rights leader and brother of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Martin Luther King, Sr.: The father of Martin Luther King Jr.
• John Lewis (1940-2020): A U.S. Congressman and a very important civil rights leader. He was a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He led the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965, including "Bloody Sunday".
• Red McAllister: A band leader and saxophonist.
• Homer Erwin Nash: A doctor who served in World War I.
• Dinah Watts Pace: An educator.
• John Andrew Parker: The first pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
• Duke Pearson: A jazz pianist and composer.
• Donald Reeves: A professional baseball player.
• Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson: A civil rights activist.
• Herman J. Russell: A successful business owner and community leader.
• Nathaniel Patrick Tillman: An educator and administrator at Morehouse College and Atlanta University.
• George Alexander Towns: An educator at Atlanta University and civil rights activist. He was the father of Grace Towns Hamilton.
• Henry McNeal Turner: A minister and politician.
• Bazoline Estelle Usher: A long-time educator in the Atlanta Public Schools.

The grave of Walter Drake Westmoreland, a Tuskegee Airman.

• Walter Drake Westmoreland: A Tuskegee Airman. He received the Air Medal and Purple Heart.
• Albery Allson Whitman: A minister and poet, known as "Poet Laureate of the Negro Race."
• Whitman Sisters Alberta, Essie and Mabel: Famous Black Vaudeville performers.
• Samuel Woodrow Williams: A minister, professor, and civil rights activist.
• Chuck Willis: A singer and songwriter.
• Billy Wright: A blues singer.
• Asa G. Yancey Sr.: A medical doctor and educator.
• Jean Childs Young: An educator and wife of Andrew Young.

Former Burials

Some famous people were once buried at South-View Cemetery but were later moved.

• Martin Luther King Jr. was moved to a tomb at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. This happened on January 13, 1970.
• Henry Ossian Flipper was reburied in his hometown of Thomasville, Georgia. This move happened on February 11, 1978.
• Benjamin Mays and his wife Sadie Gray Mays were moved to the Morehouse College campus. Their reburial took place on May 21, 1995.