Walking into the Coral Gables Museum, one can see how much it’s grown in maturity, interactivity, and in the collections available for the community to view since 2003. Executive Director John Allen gave my family an amazing tour of a most important exhibit – Sacred Ground: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery.
I urge the community to visit this exhibit for its timeliness, relevancy and heart. It is clear that the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery and the museum are on a mission to uncover the truth that lies beyond decades (or more) of this important part of African-American culture in Miami.
During our tour, John handed us a book from the museum store – Pinewood Cemetery: A History with Pioneer Biographies. Upon our departure from the museum, we decided to trek over to Pinewood to get more familiar with the history hidden there.
I certainly did not wake up on a Sunday thinking our family would be hiking Pinewood Cemetery in the middle of mansion suburbia in the South Miami area!
The book guided us along to the stories and history behind the individuals and families buried there. It was special, if I can say. And, may they and their living kin continue to rest in peace knowing the community will preserve the grounds.
That is just one wish for Lincoln Park Cemetery. And, there is a call to action – every month, there is an opportunity for the community to come and help keep cleaning the grounds at Lincoln, and be a part of preserving history.
I’ll leave you with one thought (trivia piece) – this all connects back to mastermind George Merrick. Visit the museum to find out how!
Happy Travels 