GEORGETOWN, Ky. — A meeting between volunteers at the Old Georgetown Cemetery and Mayor Burney Jenkins was held yesterday to discuss an issue with a historic sign.

What You Need To Know

  • There was a meeting held between volunteers at the Old Georgetown Cemetery and the city’s mayor yesterday over an issue with a sign the volunteer group put up that was taken down by the city

  • In an interview prior to the meeting, volunteers expressed wanting answers as to why the sign was taken down

  • After the meeting, one volunteer, Terry Thomas, said that he felt good about the meeting and that it was productive

  • The volunteer group will be meeting with city council for further discussion about the sign

Last week, we reported that a sign made by the Scott County African American Heritage Association was taken down by the city shortly after it had been put up.

“We’ve been at this for years and we never had no one ever come over here and question us about anything,” said Terry Thomas, the president of the Scott County African American Heritage Association.

The volunteers’ goal for the meeting was to get some answers as to why the sign was taken down in the first place.

“We had a real good talk, I thought,” said Thomas. “Things was said, some air was cleared and at the same time, people [are learning] about the history of this cemetery.”

Thomas believes that educating Georgetown residents about the history of the cemetery is an important piece to get an understanding of this situation.

“1860 is when they turned it over to the colored people, and they took the name of the Old Georgetown Cemetery… and they said they changed the name to the Colored Cemetery,” Thomas explained.

The issue with the sign seems to be that it states under the current name of the cemetery: “AKA Old Colored Cemetery.”

“All of this, what we’ve got, it comes from their history books that they wrote,” said Thomas. “It’s nothing offensive, you know, it’s just history. You can’t take away from history ‘cause you don’t like it. It’s still history.”

A resolution has not yet been reached, but there are plans for the volunteers to meet with the city council.

“The City of Georgetown’s goal is to work together with the volunteer group to pay honor and give recognition to those buried in the public cemetery,” Mayor Jenkins said in a statement.

Thomas was pleased with the meeting, but Willa Relford Gentry, also with the Scott County African American Heritage Association, expressed being unhappy with having to take this issue to the city council.

“We’re a group that’s feisty,” said Thomas. “We won’t give up. This means a whole lot to us, you know. We’re gonna stay in the fight until we get this accomplished.”

The volunteers say that they are set on keeping the sign as it is. Thomas explained that it’s important for them to keep the old name on the sign to ensure that the history of the Black people who are buried at the Old Georgetown Cemetery is not forgotten.

Since a resolution has not yet been reached, Spectrum News 1 will continue following this story and keep you up to date.

Related Stories