Gravestone changes under way
El Dorado County Supervisor John Knight is to be commended for his work in resolving an issue in his district — the Mormon Island Cemetery.
Knight has enlisted the help of the Prison Industry Authority to do some of the construction and preparation work relating to changing the headstones at the cemetery that use a racial slur to identify the remains of those transferred there from the Negro Hill Cemetery in 1954 to make way for Folsom Lake.
The moving force behind replacing the 36 racially offensive headstones came from the Negro Hill Burial Project. That group now has about 25 active members, most from Stockton, some from Sacramento. They also get our praise for their persistence and being organized enough to show up at several El Dorado County Board of Supervisor daytime meetings.
The group is right to ask to be recognized for its leading role in moving this issue from ennui to action. The board recognized the group's interest in the betterment of the county and asked the county administration to meet with the group. The Negro Hill Burial Project has energy to see the headstones changed and undoubtedly would contribute to the creation of replacement headstones.
Also, AT&T is committed to helping fund the headstone replacement project.
Concurrent with this, more specifics about what the Prison Industry Authority can accomplish needs to be detailed and included in the plan.
We commend not only Supervisor Knight, but the entire board for its recognition of an embarrassing, longstanding issue that needs correcting and for the board's clarity in moving forward.
As part of the replacement plan we would like to see the final step being grinding off the offensive engravings on the removed headstones and then turn them into a walking path.
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