AMErICAN GRAVEYARD

WHat does it say about us as a society if our people buy cemeteries, destroy the remains and turn hallowed ground into parking lots?

What does this say about how we treat our fellow Americans?

AMERICAN GRAVEYARD is a one-hour documentary about how one parking lot, covered in trash, is exposing the way African-Americans are treated even after death. 

Cherry Lane Cemetery was always “other.” On maps dating as far back as the 1800s, Cherry Lane Cemetery was never Second Asbury AME Cemetery, or AME Cemetery or even Cherry Lane. Colloquially it was the “Colored Burial Ground,” and municipally it was the “African Cemetery.” Even the NYC Planning Commission, which erroneously displayed the cemetery on its maps as recently as 2018, labeled it “African.” No further description was necessary. Denomination, location, didn’t matter. Because this was never a cemetery of Americans. And it only existed thanks to the generosity of “Americans” who allowed it to exist at all—until they didn’t feel generous anymore.

Production Info

Title: American Graveyard
Genre: Documentary
Length: One hour

CREDITS
Director: Heather Quinlan
Producers: Heather Quinlan, Carol Devoe, Kelly Sheehan
Consulting Producers: Donald Thoms, Peggy King Jorde
Editor: Crockett Doob
Cinematographers: Anthony Q. Artis, Ethan Mass, Luke David
Fiscal Sponsors: Talking Eyes Media, City Lore