Special to IFN

The public is invited to attend the third HEARTS Sacred Grounds, an annual exploration of the burial grounds of the enslaved in the Piedmont region, on Saturday, August 16, at the Old Iredell Jail in Statesville.

HEARTS: Sacred Grounds with Julia Robinson Moore will be presented from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is in partnership with the Iredell Arts Council.

HEARTS (history, ecology, arts, reunion, trails, store) happenings are curated events sharing specific local history often hidden or overlooked.

A quest to learn more about the burial sites of the enslaved in this region began with the launch of HEARTS Reunion project. Co-founder Abigail Jennings began noticing parallel stories at historic churches in the region when learning that the enslaved were often buried “over the wall” at historic churches. These sacred places were generally unmarked and often lost over time.

Moore’s work has been paramount in linking these stories and documenting this practice. During the August 16 event, she will share her journey exploring African-American sacred spaces across the region in her presentation, “Preserving the Past for Our Future: The History of Catawba Presbytery and its Sacred Grounds.”

The event includes live music by Sacred Steel artist Dashawn Hickman, visual art by Tony Griffin, poetry by William Baldwin, with an ecology spotlight on historic burial-ground plantings.

The Old Jail is located at 203 S. Meeting Street in Statesville.

TICKETS

Attendance is free to the community, but seating is limited and reservations are required. Visit https://ticketstripe.com/HEARTS-Sacred-Grounds-25