US – Bipartisan US Senators are asking for budget funds to help preserve important burial grounds.
U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young to request that the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget funds the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program at the congressionally authorized level of $3 million.
“Preserving burial grounds and connecting with the memory of our lost loved ones and ancestors transcends cultures and communities – it connects us with our past and guides us as we enter the future. Authorizing African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program was a critical first step toward helping communities preserve these sacred spaces,” wrote the lawmakers. “Now, we must ensure that the program is properly funded to ensure that historic African American burial grounds are preserved and maintained for future generations.”
