4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS WASHTENAW COUNTY Healing in progress: restoration of Woodlawn Cemetery The Woodlawn Cemetery in Washtenaw County is the only documented Black cemetery in the area. From 19461965 this was the only place that people of color could be buried with dignity. Rev. Garther Roberson Sr. purchased the land in 1946 and the cemetery was established. He was pastor of Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti and created it largely because Black residents had very limited burial options. They took people that had nowhere else to be buried and no funds. When Rev. Roberson died in 1955, the property reportedly passed to his wife Estella Roberson and Mrs. Booker Rhonenee. They declared bankruptcy soon after inheriting the property. With no money for maintenance, the cemetery fell into disrepair. The last burial is believed to have been around 1965, and the cemetery was subsequently treated as abandoned. It was officially declared abandoned by 1981. Dr. Debby Mitchell Covington, President and Chair of the African American Cultural and Historical Museum, assisted by Bill Rudock and Laura Schroeder, are doing the research to identify the names of the deceased. Dr. Tiffany Fryer, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan and cofounder of the Center for Community Archaeology Heritage, and Kat Slocum, an archeologist, are among the leadership engaged in the restoration project, which will let people know about the people buried in the cemetery. The geophysics company Terracon has been a tremendous support; the company completed several comprehensive geophysical surveys of the site. FELICIA WILBERT Groundcover vendor No. 234 This enabled the team to locate the graves. Other key partners in this project are the descendants of those buried at Woodlawn, along with community volunteers. The purpose is to remember and reclaim the sacred space and tell the stories of those who are laid there to rest. Extensive hours of research into deed records, archival research, vital records, County Clerk records — with help from descendants and local churches — assist the volunteers who are interested in learning more than the deceased’s name and the date of birth and date of death. There are teams doing biographies on each one of these individuals. Over 300 volunteers participate, many of them on the site, scanning clips of newspaper obituaries and records. A human detection dog located some burial sites. They are also able to use the system LiDar, which is a "light detection arranging system." It is utilized on an unmanned aerial vehicle that scans the ground making an indication of what is below. It is estimated Woodlawn Cemetary is the final resting place for 150 Black Ypsilanti community members. This expanded genealogical research identifies these community members and SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 connects us to them, including honored veterans. Connecting families and making reparations by restoring every burial site can take some time. This could be one step in the right direction, ensuring the descendants can memorialize and secure lasting legal protection of the site. Pictured above is a creative landscape of peace, beauty and reference for the new Woodlawn Cemetery. This restoration can be engaging for the youth and future generations in the understanding of Woodlawn Cemetery history. The historical preservation work is focused on securing local historic district designation for Woodlawn Cemetery, and ultimately a placement on the national register of historic places. That work is already in progress. Do you have a relative buried at Woodlawn Cemetery? If so, please contact project coordinators at historicpreservation@washtenaw.org to assist with adding them to the list. Woodlawn Cemetery is located at 7800 S. Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti. Federal court dismisses DOJ’s lawsuit vs.Washtenaw TABATHA REYNOLDS Board of Commissioners Constituent Outreach Coordinator Washtenaw County welcomes the August 21, 2026 decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granting the County Defendants’ motion to dismiss the federal government’s lawsuit challenging the County’s policies related to the immigrant community. In an 86-page opinion, U.S. District Court Judge F. Kay Behm rejected the federal government’s effort to invalidate policies adopted by the Washtenaw County Board, the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. Today’s order dismisses the case in its entirety. The Court reaffirmed a fundamental principle of our constitutional system: while the federal government has broad authority over immigration, it cannot require local governments to use their personnel, facilities and resources to carry out federal immigration enforcement. The Court concluded that the federal government’s complaint failed to establish that Washtenaw County had done anything more than exercise its constitutional authority under the Tenth Amendment. “The dismissal affirms what we have said from the beginning: Washtenaw County has both the right and responsibility to make thoughtful decisions about how we use our local resources to keep our community safe,” said Board of Commissioners Chair Katie Scott. “We can respect federal law without being compelled to do the federal government’s job. I’m proud that we stood by our values and by our community, and we will continue working to make sure everyone who calls Washtenaw County home feels safe accessing County services and engaging with local government.” Throughout this litigation, Washtenaw County has maintained that federal immigration enforcement is fundamentally a federal responsibility and that local governments cannot be compelled to devote local resources to carrying out federal priorities. The Court’s ruling confirms that principle. “We are grateful for the Court’s careful and thorough consideration of these important constitutional questions,” said Corporation Counsel Michelle Billard. “This ruling provides important clarity not only for Washtenaw County, but for local governments seeking to serve their communities while respecting roles of federal, state, and local government.” Washtenaw County remains committed to public safety, rule of law, responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and ensuring that County services remain accessible to all members of our community.
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