Knightdale community works to preserve enslaved burial grounds: 'Make it right'

KNIGHTDALE, N.C. (WTVD) -- An unlikely space sits in the heart of the Widewaters community along with the clubhouse and the park behind it.

"This area was once a burial ground for slaves," said Sean Blount, a resident who lives there. "I'm very interested in finding out who they are, what their struggles were and what we can do to make it right."

Residents living in this community are pulling together to make sure history is not forgotten by removing debris and logs. An effort and GoFundMe was launched called the enslaved cemetery restoration project. It is believed that the cemetery dates to the 1700s and was the first cemetery of enslaved plantation workers in Wake County.

"We learned that there might be over 180 bodies potentially buried back there," said Blount.

He's a bit of a history buff, so this project has piqued his interest, but he now has mixed feelings and questions around where he lives.

"Could there be folks actually buried underneath our homes? We think about that now that we've been educated. We don't know," he said.

In a statement to ABC11, the Town of Knightdale said:

The Widewaters Village community coming together to rediscover and honor the forgotten souls of an unmarked enslaved cemetery epitomizes the community's commitment to reclaiming history. Their profound contribution in ensuring this site is registered as a historical landmark allows us to preserve their legacy and honor the forgotten souls buried there.

According to a town spokesman, this project represents what Knightdale stands for and its slogan, "Start Something."

That's exactly what residents are doing. They just say they need help preserving the land.

"See what we could do to make it a walking museum or something of that nature," said Blount.