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Crowds gathered at Douglass Memorial Cemetery on June 21 to celebrate Juneteenth and honor the African American families whose pursuit of freedom and equality is reflected in the historic burial ground.

Descendants shared stories about relatives buried at the Alexandria cemetery, which was established during segregation and later became overgrown and largely forgotten.

“It is really good for me to be standing here,” said Beatrice McGuire, whose grandfather’s cousin, the Rev. Robert Jenkins, is buried there. “I read about our past and want to know more about our history — the struggles that we have had and how far we have come.”

Juneteenth, also called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with roughly 2,000 troops to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. The order freed about 250,000 enslaved people in Texas, which had resisted emancipation for two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation.

The Douglass Cemetery Association founded Douglass Memorial Cemetery in 1895 as a segregated, nondenominational burial ground for African Americans. It was named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who delivered the keynote address at a celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation’s 31st anniversary on Sept. 24, 1894, at the site that would later bear his name.

Stephanie Johnson attended the Juneteenth gathering with her twin brother, Stephen Johnson. She described visiting the cemetery as a deeply spiritual experience.

“The people who come out and show up — it’s not about race, it’s about unity and people coming together and getting the cemetery to where it needs to be,” she said.

For decades, vegetation obscured the cemetery and its place in Alexandria’s history. Resident Michael Johnson eventually learned about the site and began working to restore it as sacred ground.

Johnson said significant work remains, including reducing flooding, repairing headstones, and installing a memorial and gates. Restoration efforts are being coordinated with descendants and other stakeholders to create a place for honor and reflection.

Lifelong Alexandria resident Darnella McGuire-Nelson grew up two blocks away and played in the area as a child, unaware that the weed-covered cemetery was there.

“I am embarrassed that I never knew that this sacred ground existed but am very grateful that it is now being recognized for its historical significance,” she said.