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"No equality - even in death"

Reclaiming the lost history of an African American cemetery.

Many African American cemeteries in the US have fallen into disrepair over the years - one of them is Geer cemetery in the city of Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in the 19th century when racial segregation laws meant that Black people had to be buried separately from white people and over 1,500 people are believed to be buried at Geer. Of that number, only around 200 headstones remain and the stories of those interred were at risk of being lost forever. That was until a group of volunteers called "Friends of Geer" stepped in - they are now working to reclaim the histories of those buried there. Reporter Danny Greenwald went to meet two of the group's members - Michael Williams and Deidre Barnes.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb
Reporter: Danny Greenwald
Producers: Danny Greenwald and Laura Thomas

(Photo: Deidre Barnes and Michael Williams at Geer Cemetery. Credit: Danny Greenwald)

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17 minutes

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