More than two dozen HOPE Crew volunteers recently completed gravestone repairs at the historic Olivewood Cemetery, the first incorporated African American Cemetery in Houston, Texas.

During the two-day cemetery conservation workshop in January, Rusty Brenner of Texas Cemetery Restoration led hands-on training in gravestone assessment, cleaning, alignment, resetting, and repair. Twenty-seven volunteers from Lonestar College and the surrounding community participated in the workshop at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Olivewood Cemetery is part of the Slave Route Project, an international registry of locations involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Support for this HOPE Crew workshop was provided by the Fund II Foundation, D/2, and the Descendants of Olivewood.