ELEVATE: Wreath Laying Ceremony at Mt. Olive Cemetery in Buckhead 10/9

ELEVATE Atlanta is presenting a Wreath Laying Ceremony and Rededication Service in honor of the former Black residents of Buckhead who are buried at Mt. Olive Cemetery. This event will take place on Sunday, October 9 at 5 pm at the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Frankie Allen Park, 100 Bagley St NE, Atlanta, GA 30305.

This project is a collaboration between ELEVATE Atlanta, the City of Atlanta, the Buckhead Heritage Society, the Atlanta History Center, the Fulton County Library System – Buckhead Location, artists, and others.

“We are proud to be part of this historic project in Buckhead,” states Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of Atlanta’s. “It’s important for many reasons. In 1912 Forsyth County mounted a campaign to drive out Black residents. Many of these people settled in Buckhead where they found work, created a thriving community, and attended Mr. Olive Church. Then were driven out of their homes again by the early 1950’s through eminent domain. It’s time to remember and honor these Atlantans.”

Special Guests for the Wreath-Laying Program and Rededication Service on October 9 include:

• Pastor David F. Richards III of New Hope AME Church
• Camille Russell Love, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
• Pearl Cleage, author, playwright, and Atlanta’s Poet Laureate will read a poem written for the occasion
• Charlotte Margolin, Buckhead Heritage Board President
• Elon Butts Osby, Granddaughter of William and Ida Bagley
• Okorie “OkCello” Johnson will perform
• Atlanta Music Project soloists

Remembering Bagley Park and an erased African American community in Buckhead – Art Installation

Kimberly Binns expands on her recent body of work on race and the history of city planning and development, to create a visual installation on the story of Bagley Park and Mt. Olive Cemetery in Buckhead. This exhibition will honor those who rest at Mt. Olive Cemetery. Exhibition dates are from October 1-15, 2022, at the Buckhead Library, 269 Buckhead Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30305.

Short History of Mt. Olive Church and Black Buckhead

The Mt. Olive Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery is one of the last remnants of Buckhead’s African American heritage. Founded in 1870, the church’s congregation was made up of former slaves. Over several decades a community of more than 400 residents grew around it and thrived.

In 1921, developer Frank C. Owens laid out a formal neighborhood called Macedonia Park, also known as Bagley Park after one of its most respected citizens, William Bagley. Most of the people who lived in these houses worked on nearby farms or as domestic help for Buckhead’s affluent white citizens. Then, between 1945 and 1953, Fulton County acquired all the homes in Macedonia Park through eminent domain. Further erasure happened in 1980 when Fulton County and the City of Atlanta officially changed the name to Frankie Allen Park.

In 2005, TRC Garrow Associates did an archeological investigation and survey and identified 45 features that likely represent graves within the ¼ acre cemetery site. In 2020, Atlanta City Council passed a resolution making the Buckhead Heritage Society caretaker of the cemetery.

The City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ vision is to enhance the quality of life through arts and culture, and to contribute positively to the social and economic health of Atlanta and the region. Their mission is to promote rich, diverse, and educational cultural experiences; nurture artists and arts organizations; preserve and protect the city’s cultural heritage; and expand Atlanta’s international reputation. The ELEVATE Atlanta Public Art Festival is a program of the City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

For news and updates about ELEVATE 2022: OPEN SPACES visit the website, elevateatlart.com. And follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

MEDIA Contact: Karen Hatchett at Hatchett PR, karen@hatchettpr.com