Cobb Bethel AME Church

The Cobb Bethel AME Cemetery Preservation Project is a grassroots effort dedicated to restoring and protecting one of Atlanta’s most significant African American burial grounds. Adjacent to Cobb Bethel AME Church-founded in 1863 by formerly enslaved people-the cemetery contains the graves of over 150 Black landowners, farmers, and Civil War-era citizens whose stories represent courage, resilience, and self-determination in the face of systemic injustice.

Our goals are to honor the lives buried here, preserve the site’s historic and cultural legacy, and engage the public in hands-on community preservation. In August 2024, we achieved a major milestone: official registration as a cemetery. To date, we have identified 156 graves and are working with historians, universities, and preservation experts to document, restore, and protect the site.

We invite volunteers to join us in grave documentation, headstone cleaning, historical research, landscaping, and public outreach. Whether you have professional expertise or simply a willingness to help, your support will directly contribute to preserving a vital chapter of Georgia’s Black history.