What Lies Beneath the Ground: A Reckoning at Deerfield Beach’s “Old Colored Cemetery

In What Lies Beneath the Ground: A Reckoning with Deerfield Beach's "Old Colored Cemetery," Dr. Sherman J. Morris offers a deeply personal essay on Black memory, sacred land, segregation, and the unfinished work of telling the truth. Written by a son of Deerfield Beach, this work speaks directly to the young Black people of the city while inviting all readers to confront a history too often neglected, softened, or ignored. This is not simply the story of a cemetery. It is the story of a people, Black families who helped build Deerfield Beach while living under the weight of segregation, and a burial ground formed in a world that separated Black people in life and in death. It is the story of what happens when memory is neglected, land becomes valuable, and a community is forced to contend for the dignity of its dead. After years of silence, the ground finally spoke back. Part witness, part public history, and part call to leadership, this essay is an offering, a warning, and a call to remembrance. It asks readers to look again at the land, at the city, and at the truths buried beneath both. Perfect for readers interested in: - African American history- Florida history- Black memory and community preservation- Race, land, and public memory- Essays on justice, identity, and truth Because the ground remembers. And now, so must you.

Pagina's: 113, Paperback, Independently published