March 31, 2019 - 9:44 AM
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Time capsules to be buried at two Augusta cemeteries are reconnecting people with the past.
Augusta native Carolyne Lamar Jordan is among several people donating items that will be placed in a time capsule at Cedar Grove Cemetery, where many of her ancestors are buried. It's the historic final resting place in Augusta for thousands of African-Americans, including many slaves.
Items to be buried in the time capsules include historical artifacts and documents, city officials said. The time capsules will be buried at Cedar Grove and at the nearby Magnolia Cemetery.
Jordan travelled to Georgia earlier this month to revisit her family's story. The trip included a visit to Statesboro, where her maternal grandfather, William James, was known for improving education opportunities for black students, The Augusta Chronicle reported.
Jordan wrote a brief family history and included a copy to place in the time capsule. She also brought copies of report cards and her diploma from Harvard, where she received a doctorate in human development in the school of education.
"My theme is to make connections," Jordan said. "To get the names right, to tell the stories straight, to not have everybody thinking they're more important than somebody else, because it's not like that. This is where you're all going to end up."
The Lamar plat has suffered the wear common to many Cedar Grove graves. Only one headstone, a flat marker and a stone designating the "P.W. Lamar" section mark the site where Jordan determined nine family members were buried.
"We're going to have everybody's name here, including my grandfather," said Jordan, 79. "We're going to put a name on every one of these people."
City officials say items for the time capsules are still being collected, and they could be placed in the cemeteries later this spring.
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Information from: The Augusta Chronicle , http://www.augustachronicle.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2019