North Austin News

The Oakwood Cemetery has announced the achievement of three significant milestones in documenting the lives and contributions of Austin’s historically segregated communities of color through its "Oakwood Legacy Project." This initiative has been supported by a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, awarded to Austin's Parks and Recreation Department between 2021 and 2023.

The project has developed a 3D model of Oakwood Cemetery's Historic Colored Grounds, audited burial records of segregated Austinites up to 1880, and launched 18 multimedia history projects. These efforts focus on untold stories from Austin's communities of color.

According to the cemetery staff, "The 'Oakwood Legacy Project' shares digital tours, exhibits, and cemetery records with the general public." The work is ongoing as staff and community members continue researching records and updating the 3D model. The project's historical exhibits have attracted nearly 80,000 online views and received recognition from Preservation Austin for their educational value.

The exhibits include various themes such as:

- All Together Here

- Chapel Archaeology & Accountability

- To Fight Fires: Austin Fire Department

- Contribuir | en español: The Ancestors of Danny Camacho

- To Fika: Austin’s Swedish Cultural Heritage

- Caminar | en español: Tejano History & Burials

- To Hear: Music & Musicians

- Reunir | en español: Día de los Muertos

- To Liberate: The Watson Chateau

- To Believe: The Legacy of Rev. Jacob Fontaine

- To Relate: Indigenous Views on Native American History in Texas

- To Carve: Monument Shapes & Symbols

- To Remember | en español: Grief, Loss, & Love Across Cultures

- To Change: Austin Geography & History

- To Serve: Honoring Military Veterans

- To Elevate: Huston-Tillotson University – Austin’s HBCU

- To Vote: Austin’s Suffragists

- To Emancipate: From Slavery to Freedom

- Unificar | en español: Tejano Social Organizations

These milestones represent significant progress in preserving and sharing important aspects of local history that have often been overlooked.