TAYLOR, Texas — In the city of Taylor, hundreds of African American grave sites have gone without headstones for decades, and now, there’s a monument to remember the members of Taylor’s black population who didn’t have one.
The Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society wanted to do something about it.
“The Heritage Society got worried at the fact almost no one realized this is sacred space, and that’s what triggered off the idea of the memorial,” said Frances Sorrow, the President of the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society. “I think it helps restore the dignity and provide closure for the families, but at least someone recognizes this a sacred burial ground and not just an empty field.”
Ernest Rector, a 96-year-old Army veteran and longtime Taylor resident, knows the African American burial section of the Taylor City Cemetery very well.
“This is where my ancestors are buried,” Rector said. “Back to the days of slavery, my grandfather was a slave down in Manor, Texas, and he is buried in this cemetery. My father is buried here.”
There are around 750 African Americans that have been buried at Taylor Cemetery. Rector said many of them are without headstones.
“People were very poor,” Rector said. “They were cotton pickers, and the average family had an income of $600 to $700 dollars a year.”Rector said he likes the idea of a memorial being established.
“I like it, and appreciate the city is doing it for us,” Rector said.
It’s honoring the past, while also ensuring the future remembers it.