The stone, a small boulder really, is positioned expertly in the landscaping for all to see. It’s not the rock so much, but its placement that underscores what we did not see, did not know for decades.
The inscribed words stress that lack of awareness.
“For Those Known Only to God”
The stone is one of many that frame the walkway leading to the Liberty African American Legacy Memorial on the east side of the Fairview and New Hope Cemeteries in Liberty. Slightly obscured by a slope in the land, this is a burial place that in large part had become the final resting place of those known only to our maker.
“This was the worst part of the cemetery, where water ran off and created swamp-like conditions,” says Dr. Cecelia Robinson, who spearheaded the 2017 effort to honor those who had been buried, often without markers, in the segregated section of the two cemeteries.
“People would play frisbee or walk their dogs here until we started this project,” she says. “No one knew that human beings — people who helped build Clay County — were buried here.”
Today, the black granite marker lists the names of 760 individuals or families who are buried here. The marker has a reflective quality similar to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. that encourages reflection on the conditions that brought these names to be listed here. And it’s not always pleasant.
Cecelia, professor emerita at William Jewell College, believes this marker, with its plaza-style design that includes a list of names, seating and a long walkway with inspirational comments and historical facts engraved on stones, is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Dedicated in 2022, the memorial is one of many projects coordinated by the Clay County African American League that honors those who, for decades, received no recognition for the contributions and culture they brought to Clay County.
The CCAAL is based at the Garrison School, the only school still standing in Clay County that educated black children before desegregation. It dates to 1877, although the current structure was built in 1911 and served the Liberty School District until purchased by the CCAAL in 2003.
The Corbin Theatre, Liberty’s community theater group, continues to use the stage and gymnasium for performances, as do other groups on occasion. But the building’s primary purpose now is as a cultural center with an art gallery and five rooms dedicated to the history of African Americans in Clay County.
Some rooms are inspiring, dedicated to African American veterans from Clay County and numerous professional athletes. Otto “Jay Bird” Ray played baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs alongside Hall of Famer Buck O’Neil.
Other rooms are difficult, like the one that shares the history of lynchings in Clay County. The pioneer room not only includes a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, but also a copy of the Missouri Emancipation Proclamation that passed in 1865.
“African Americans have been a part of the history of Clay County since 1817 but their stories are not well known,” Cecelia says.
Long before the Garrison School became the focal point of African American history in Clay County, volunteers coordinated a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, Kwanza events, reading programs and, of course, Juneteenth celebrations.
In 2001, volunteers raised funds and built a simple drinking fountain adjacent to the Clay County Courthouse that is called “The Freedom Fountain.” A marker lists the names of 150 African Americans and their contributions to the community, all under the inscription, “Come, Drink, All Who Thirst For Freedom.”
Most recently, a section of Highway 291 through Liberty has been renamed “Sam Houston Highway,” honoring the man who graduated from Garrison School and worked in the Liberty Public Schools for nearly 40 years. His family was among the first African American families to settle in Clay County more than 200 years ago.
These accomplishments have come about through the energy and passion of numerous volunteers of diverse backgrounds. The next step is to hire a full-time administrator to bring the Garrison School Cultural Center to a greater level of serving its goal to improve human relations and cultural understanding in Clay County.
For more information, follow the Clay County African American Legacy on Facebook or visit ccaal-garrisonschool.org. You can also join their Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 8, starting with a dedication of the Sam Houston Highway at Commerce Bank at 291 and 152 at 9 a.m., followed by other events at the Garrison School.
“No one knew that human beings — people who helped build Clay County — were buried here.”