Volunteers to Gather on May 16, 2026 at 9am at People’s Burial Park for “Digging for Dignity” Service Project Honoring Black Pioneers.

 

Volunteers to Gather on May 16, 2026 at 9am at People’s Burial Park for “Digging for Dignity” Service Project Honoring Black Pioneers. 

HALTOM CITY — Community leaders, churches, veterans organizations, historians, students, military organizations from across Tarrant County, and volunteers from across North Texas are preparing to gather at People’s Burial Park in Haltom City for two major “Digging for Dignity” community service projects designed to preserve and honor the legacy of thousands of Black pioneers buried at the historic cemetery.

The upcoming events, organized through a growing partnership involving New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association, the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the City of Haltom City, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Labor Detail, Keep Fort Worth Beautiful, and military organizations from across the county, will focus on cemetery restoration, historical preservation, grave documentation, beautification, and community education.

The first event, Memorial Remembrance Day, is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m.

A second event, the Juneteenth Find A Grave Project, will take place Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 9 a.m.

Both events will be held at People’s Burial Park, also known historically as Fretwell Cemetery and New Trinity Cemetery, located near the intersection of Northeast 28th Street and North Beach Street in Haltom City.

Organizers say the cemetery is believed to contain the graves of more than 7,707 Black pioneers whose lives helped shape Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and surrounding communities during segregation and beyond.

Among those buried at the cemetery are more than 500 military veterans, including Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, members of the Red Ball Express, World War I and World War II veterans, and Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a member of the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

The cemetery is also the final resting place of several significant Black historical figures connected to Fort Worth, including Riley Andrew Ransom Sr., who founded Fort Worth’s first Black hospital in 1918, civil rights educator Vada Phillips Felder, who hosted Martin Luther King Jr. during his 1959 visit to Fort Worth, and Fred Rouse, recognized as Fort Worth’s only documented lynching victim.

Organizers say volunteers will assist with documenting graves, cleaning cemetery grounds, identifying historical markers, beautification efforts, preserving records, and helping educate younger generations about African American history in Tarrant County.

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Labor Detail has played a major role in helping clear overgrowth and restore visibility to long-forgotten burial areas, while Keep Fort Worth Beautiful has supported broader beautification and preservation efforts connected to the historic site.

Military organizations from across Tarrant County are also expected to participate in honoring the hundreds of veterans buried at the cemetery, including Buffalo Soldiers, World War veterans, and members of historically Black military units whose service helped shape American history.

Community leaders say the City of Haltom City has also helped strengthen public awareness surrounding the cemetery and its growing recognition as one of North Texas’ most important African American heritage sites.

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr. of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church said the effort is about more than cemetery restoration.

“This is about restoring memory, restoring dignity, and restoring history,” Tatum said. “These sacred grounds contain the stories of generations who helped build Fort Worth during some of the most difficult periods in American history.”

Community leaders say the project has grown into one of the largest grassroots African American cemetery preservation initiatives in North Texas.

The events are open to volunteers, churches, students, military veterans, historians, civic organizations, and members of the public interested in preserving local history.

For volunteer opportunities, partnerships, or additional information, contact Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr. at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, 2864 Mississippi Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104, or call (817) 966-7625.

Organizers say the mission behind Digging for Dignity remains simple:

“Preserving the past while planting dignity for the future.”