LEWISVILLE, Texas — Jackie Shaw says that when she first learned about the existence of the Champion Macedonia Cemetery and its historical significance in north Texas, she was ashamed to admit she didn't even know it was there.
Three years later, after Shaw helped coordinate the help of an army of volunteers, the historic Black cemetery has been adopted and preserved by a new generation.
George McKenzie is believed to be the first buried here, 144 years ago. But, his final resting place wasn't exactly what it used to be. What's left of the Champion Macedonia Cemetery in Lewisville is an L-shaped grove of trees surrounded by warehouses, a car dealership, and accessible only by a somewhat hidden driveway from an I-35 frontage road.
And a few years ago, neglected behind thickets and thorns, not that many people, even knew it was still there.
"It's been a labor of love," Jackie Shaw said.
Because with her guidance, volunteers on MLK Day-inspired events, have cut and chopped and scoured and cleaned to give the graves, many of them nameless and marked with sticks and stones, the honor their legacy deserves.
"All God's children are coming together and saying no matter the religion, no matter the race, it's all just coming together and saying how can we help," Shaw said.
But fully restoring this Black cemetery needed a few more champions.
One of them is Victoria Myers. As a Girl Scout project, she raised $19,000 to replace a portion of the cemetery's chain link fence with a black iron fence. Her work also helped get white crosses placed at all the graves that bear no name markers at all.
"It's a sea of white crosses. It's beautiful. It's beautiful that people finally have an identity that can be recognized," Myers said.
This past year the cemetery also received the help of an Eagle Scout.
Nathan Danforth, a member of Boy Scout Troop 45, selected Champion Macedonia Historical African American Cemetery as his Eagle Scout project. His work and fundraising helped place a 24-foot flagpole on the cemetery grounds along with new signage. His research showed that 12 veterans are buried at the cemetery.
With his help, each veteran's grave is now marked with an additional medallion and American flags.
And on a cold January Saturday morning when they dedicated the cemetery again, Victoria had one more gift.
The high school student played the Black national anthem on her violin. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" echoed through the cemetery as she played for the living and the dead.
"And recognize that where I'm at and where I'm going is all because of the people who are buried here today," Myers said.
"It has been refreshing for a young person to want to come and preserve history," said Shaw.
As the cemetery is restored, still with more fundraising needed to complete the full perimeter of the iron fence and a complete accounting for any other hidden graves, modern descendants are still choosing this as their final resting place.
And in honoring ancestors like George McKenzie, a man born a slave but who died free, Victoria sees a worthy resurrected message.
"Despite your circumstances or despite where you may be, or where you have been, lift your voice because there is something to be proud of," Myers said.
The passage of time, and the pressure of a modern world, can't erase that.
"I think it's a beautiful thing," added Shaw.
A state-approved sign along I-35 also now marks the cemetery entrance. A state-approved historic marker and cemetery entrance arch are also in the works.
If you would like more information on the work still to be done on the cemetery restoration, you can find that info here.