Mission unearths African-American cemetery - Gainesville Times

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Mission unearths African-American cemetery

Group searches for answers about ancestors buried there

Volunteer Randall Johnson looks over Strickland Cemetery off Strickland Drive in Gainesville. Johnson and other volunteers cleared away the overgrown bushes and grass, allowing them to mark the locations of graves with red and white flags.

0408CEMETERY1 — Volunteer Randall Johnson looks over Strickland Cemetery off Strickland Drive in Gainesville. Johnson and other volunteers cleared away the overgrown bushes and grass, allowing them to mark the locations of graves with red and white flags.

A temporary, handwritten sign marks the site of the small cemetery. It reads “New Bethel Church, Strickland Cemetery.” The final word has already faded though the sign was erected only a few months prior.