Grave Marker for People of African Descent 

A proposal was brought to the Reparations Subcommittee by a Meeting member and this proposal went to our Meeting for Business on March 13, 2022 for approval: 

"In 2016, when the Meeting dedicated the plaque at the entrance of the graveyard, several Meeting members researched and discovered some lists that included names of people of color (designated by "Col." next to their names in Quaker records) who were buried in unmarked graves in our graveyard. Prior to that time, we did not know these names. The names were compiled into one list in our program for that Plaque Dedication event, and the names were read out loud at that ceremony. Since that time, several Friends had inquired about placing a grave marker with these names listed, but we have never had a viable plan for placing one...Because this marker would be larger than our traditional markers, we need special approval from the John Barnes Trustees to place such a marker. The marker would be flat, rather than upright, so that it would not resemble a monument, because monuments are not permitted in our graveyard. In keeping with our graveyard regulations, we would only list the names without other wording, except that we'd indicate that the locations of these graves are unknown...Individual Friends will be invited to make donations to cover the cost of the marker(s). The cost would not be covered by the Bothwell Reparations Fund, because there are strict guidelines for using that fund...We believe that our Meeting should make this commitment so that these names will be remembered and honored, especially because so many people of African descent have lost their family history through the enslavement of their ancestors. March 25, 2022 is International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We would like to take this step of reaching unity in time for that significant day."   

The proposal was approved and the members of Abington Friends Meeting funded the grave marker. The  grave marker listing the names and burial years of some people of African descent who were buried in our Abington Meeting Graveyard was installed in 2022. (See photo above.) These names were read out loud and honored during a memorial meeting for worship on October 15, 2016, when the Meeting dedicated the brass plaque at the entrance of the graveyard. The grave marker only lists names and dates, because it is a Quaker grave marker, not a monument. In keeping with our Quaker belief that we are all equal, even in death, monuments are not allowed in our graveyard, and markers are kept simple with only names and dates listed. Our graveyard regulations do not permit additional wording other than names and dates, and the location of the marker usually identifies the grave. (In this case, the locations are unknown.) This grave marker is in keeping with our Quaker testimonies and practices in its simplicity, which is way the installation of this grave marker was approved. It is an actual grave marker, not a symbolic monument.
The initial drawing of the marker is shown below, for ease of reading names.