SITE DIRECTORY
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Woodlawn Cemetery (Historic African American Section)
Anson Street African Burial Ground
FOUNDED: 1915
ADDITIONAL NAMES: N/A
AFFILIATION(S): Anson Street African Burial Ground project
HISTORY: Woodlawn Cemetery in Fort Myers, Florida is a historic burial ground that holds the remains of African American families from across Southwest Florida, including residents of Immokalee who were denied burial access in Collier County during the era of segregation. Because Black residents were barred from many white cemeteries, families were forced to bury their loved ones in Fort Myers. Woodlawn therefore became a regional resting place for Black agricultural workers, families, and children whose lives were tied to the farming communities of Immokalee and the surrounding areas. The cemetery contains both marked and unmarked graves and stands as physical evidence of the racial restrictions that shaped burial practices in Southwest Florida.
BCN Contact Information:
Ramona D. Miller