A brief history of historic landmark

By Heather Denne’

JA Guest Writer

Historic Mt. Olive Cemetery was founded over 125 years by a Black cemetery association as a final resting place for African Americans. This site is the oldest space on the historic John R. Lynch Street Corridor and space that should be remembered.

The cemetery represents four distinct eras in history: slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement. This cemetery depicts a point of beginning for this community and served as a final resting place for prominent African Americans, and remains an intact and visible landmark.

At a request from west Jackson community residents, JSU has been at the forefront of preserving and beautifying this site. In 2017, we were able to get Mt. Olive Cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2019, the National Park Service (NPS) granted us $500,000 to preserve the headstones in the cemetery. In the summer of 2022, we were able to repair and unearth 150 headstones and restore them. Later that year, the NPS gave us an additional $500,000 to repair and store the mausoleum. We have begun this work, which has led us to why we are here today (August 22, 2025).

Over the years, the mausoleums fell in and damaged the coffins. This led to the remains being intertwined with the outside elements. Therefore, we had to disinter, or remove the remains, repair the mausoleums and reinter. In order to complete this task, we first obtained permission from the Hinds County Chancery Court. Then we had to get approval from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Next, we had to get approval from the National Park Service. And we have followed all of the Secretary of Interior Standards.

What is happening now is that we are repairing and fixing the mausoleums so they are stable and level to prevent future damage to the coffins. Essentially, we are digging down underneath the mausoleums, putting down concrete footings, and rebuilding them so that they are level.

Also, any broken or damaged bricks are being repaired and/or replaced.

The recent Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) report shows where all remains are located. In 2017, we pulled death records and found 1,461 records but we did not know where they were. Recently, we completed GPR and found 1,483 gravesites. Meaning, both studies are aligning and matching up. And now we know where every single burial is.

Even so, only 18 percent have an identifiable marker, in other words 80 percent of the gravesites do not have a marker.

Sometimes I feel the weight of the 1,400 souls and how do we preserve this hallowed ground and not forget? I need your help in getting our young people here to learn about this important history… they are right here…. 

We recently lost The Honorable Robert Walker, who was one of the first champions of this site. Dr. Marilyn Luckett is another person who led efforts for Mt. Olive.

But young folks are going to help us with sustainability.

I don’t believe we can change history, and there is nothing you or I could have done about slavery. However, we can help with the upkeep, research, and beautification of those formerly enslaved persons.

Next steps include: 

• Complete repairs of the mausoleum; build a memorial wall with everyone’s name engraved on it; reinforce existing pathways and landscaping efforts; and 

• Create a historic destination showcasing the first African American statues built in the state of Mississippi of Jim Hill and Ida Revels Redmond.

In October, we will host a reenactment program featuring interpretations of five persons in the cemetery that include Jennie O. Johnson, one of the founding members of the Alpha Delta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

As I close, I want to thank a few people. My husband, Dr. Rod Denne’ for being my shoulder to cry on and helping craft my speeches; NPS for investing in this worthy project; my beautiful and loyal Community Engagement Team and Metro Jackson Team, literally Richard Grubb and Associates, Ellen and Jason, thank you for show us how to do this work and caring for cemeteries across this nation; and Patty Patterson for being more than willing to lay parallel with each of the graves and helping preserve them.

Lastly, I want to thank Jackson State University. Thank you for allowing me to do this work and leading the way for preserving Black cemeteries. Historically, Black cemeteries have been forgotten, lost, built upon, and bulldozed. Sometimes Black bodies are removed from their final resting space in the name of growth and development. But not here, not at Jackson State. They saw the worthiness of this site and obtained ownership in 2023. JSU, a premiere HBCU, is leading the charge and showing the world how to properly honor our ancestors.

Now as I take my seat, the real reason why we all are here is to honor the two individuals who were disinterred and reinterred – “Father” and Maggie Perkins. “Father” is the only indication on the gravesite. We know he was well regarded in the community because he had a glass coffin. “Father,” we honor you.

Maggie Perkins, we honor you and I am honored to have worked alongside your family, particularly Dr. Sandra Holly, to complete this process.