Cemeteries Mirror Darkest Corners of Local History Taylor Koenen Is
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020 126 YEARS OF SERVING UNC STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY VOLUME 127, ISSUE 79 Cemeteries mirror darkest corners of local history Troves of unmarked graves William, died in 1857 and served as a steward and superintendent of UNC reflect Chapel Hill’s role in buildings and grounds. erasing enslaved people. There are 120 graves in the cemetery, according to a report By Hannah McClellan published by the Research Senior Writer Laboratories of Anthropology at UNC in 1996. Only about 20 are marked. Approximately three miles from UNC Media Relations Manager UNC’s campus, nearly 100 enslaved Kate Luck said UNC has an “access people are buried in largely unmarked and maintenance agreement” with graves at a historic family cemetery. the family for the property, but told The Christopher and William the DTH in an email that “there Barbee Family Cemetery is one was a lot of confusion” around the part of a 27-acre tract known as the specifics of the agreement. However, Meadowmont estate. The property Luck said the cemetery is located was gifted to UNC in 1988. on UNC’s endowment property and Located only a short walk from the maintained by UNC’s grounds staff. Rizzo Center, a 183-room boutique “Most references to the cemetery hotel owned by the UNC Kenan- indicate that it is on private land Flagler Business School, the exact and that those who wish to visit details of the cemetery’s ownership should contact the Rizzo Center,” and maintenance were unclear to the she said. “I doubt anyone will be University when The Daily Tar Heel able to speak to this as nobody was began investigating the property. familiar with the property until we During the 19th century, the did some digging for records.” land was part of the Barbee family The two most clearly-maintained plantation. Christopher Barbee, the grave markers belong to William cemetery’s namesake, was a wealthy Barbee and his wife, Gaskey. DTH/ANGELICA EDWARDS slave-owner and the University’s The Barbee Family Cemetery pictured on Jan. 24, 2020. Nearly 100 enslaved people are buried in unmarked graves. largest original land donor. His son, SEE CEMETERIES, PAGE 7 Taylor Koenen is writing Alumni lend voices to Silent Sam settlement her own legacy Black Pioneers and other 1967 UNC graduate, said he hopes that having support from over 70 The senior guard is making her new coach Courtney Banghart, alumni plan to submit a brief distinguished alumni will help to a woman who has also only just against the SCV settlement. give weight to the interveners’ case. an impact in her last season met Koenen in the grand scheme of Watt said he is involved in the in Chapel Hill. things, but who has already bonded case both as a UNC graduate and as with the most experienced Tar Heel By Allie Kelly Staff Writer a UNC Black Pioneer. The Pioneers By Brian Keyes on the team, making her team captures the group of Black students Assistant Sports Editor captain and taking her under The same alumni who marched who graduated during the first 20 her wing. on Franklin Street during the Civil years of integration at UNC. What will the legacy of Taylor Banghart continues: Rights Movement — the UNC Black Otto White, class of 1965, Koenen be? “You don’t have to be Pioneers — are now partnering with said he was active in civil rights It’s not something that can be the loudest, you don’t a new generation of current students demonstrations while at UNC. properly captured in a thousand have to be the quietest, in pursuit of the same goal. “So many of the issues I was or so words. Not something that you don’t have to be “We believe we should be able dealing with in the 1960s are still can be broken down into a three- the best, you don’t to have pride in our University just issues that exist in 2020,” he said. minute highlight video showing off as anyone can have pride in their Watt said the Sons of Confederate her step-back jumper and the ball SEE KOENEN, PAGE 6 alma mater,” 1967 graduate Walter Veterans have misrepresented the she sends forth that barely seems Jackson said. history of the statue. He said he sees to rotate into the air before it hits A group of UNC graduates plans no standing for the SCV’s case. nothing but the net. to submit an amicus brief to the He said the court can’t base It’s certainly not the many timely Orange County court system by the approval of this settlement cuts, passes or rebounds she has Wednesday in support of the civil agreement on false statements. made over 115 career games and rights group attempting to reverse If the decision cannot be reversed, 3,739 minutes (and counting) played the Silent Sam settlement. White said, UNC must provide for the North Carolina women’s The brief— a formal letter equal or greater funding toward basketball team, none of which were advocating for the civil rights group scholarships for students of color. flashy, all of which were vital to her — will be filed in anticipation of the “Oftentimes, issues like this are team’s success. appeal hearing on Feb 12. Judge forgotten and fall under the rug,” What will the legacy of Taylor Allen Baddour ruled in December White said. “But $2.5 million would Koenen be? that the civil rights group’s motion go a long way in dispelling hate.” “Someone you can always rely on,” lacked standing but agreed to hold White said he thinks alumni says her best friend, housemate and an appeal hearing. need to play a role in projecting the teammate Liz Roberts, who knows The signatories, members of the University as an institution for all Koenen better than many ever will. DTH ONLINE: UNC Black Pioneers and a wider group people. The monument itself is not “Someone who doesn’t give up, Check out the full of alumni, aim to express their support the problem, he said, but represents who strives for greatness,” says story of Taylor for the student and faculty partnered larger issues of racism and exclusion. her “buddy” Malu Tshitenge, the Koenen and more with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil “It’s only a monument,” he said. youngest player in UNC’s starting sports coverage at dailytarheel.com. Rights Under Law. “There should be more actions to lineup and someone who has only Mel Watt, former director of The right history.” just begun to know Koenen. Federal Housing Finance Agency “The power of consistency,” says DTH/MORGAN PIROZZI DTH GRAPHIC/JEFFREY SHUTTER under President Obama and a [email protected] Things change, rearrange and so do I. J. COLE 2 Wednesday, January 29, 2020 News The Daily Tar Heel The Daily Tar Heel Established 1893 Chapel Hill Transit considers route changes 126 years of editorial freedom By Taylor Heeden Staff Writer LISTENING SESSIONS MARCO QUIROZ-GUTIERREZ Time: 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday CO-EDITOR: MANAGING EDITOR Chapel Hill Transit has started [email protected] Location: UNC Hospitals Conference to hold listening sessions to discuss Room (Thursday) and Seymour [email protected] proposed changes to its services, Center (Friday) EMILY SIEGMUND the goal being to implement them Info: https://www.townofchapelhill. CO-EDITOR: ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR by August. org/town-hall/departments- [email protected] This plan is a result of feedback services/transit [email protected] from Chapel Hill and Carrboro high-frequency transit corridors, PRESTON LENNON residents and UNC faculty and emphasize equity, improve weekend DIRECTOR OF ENTERPRISE students. The goal of the plan is to service and enhance the convenience [email protected] create a guide for the service CHT of living without a private vehicle. CHARLIE MCGEE will provide over the next five years. Michael Parker, a member of the DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS Brian Litchfield, director of Chapel Hill Town Council, said this [email protected] Chapel Hill Transit, said CHT is the third round of community reviews its system annually with its input sessions about changes to MAEVE SHEEHEY funding partners the Town of Chapel Chapel Hill’s transportation systems. UNIVERSITY EDITOR Hill, the Town of Carrboro and UNC. “We had many public sessions [email protected] “We make changes to the system where we asked folks what changes ANNA POGARCIC following those reviews based on they would like to see,” Parker said. DTH FILE/MAYA CARTER CITY & STATE EDITOR ridership and changes that happen Parker said the changes made to The A bus stops at the South Road bus stop across from the Carolina Student [email protected] in town,” Litchfield said. the transit system have to be within Union. The stop services multitudes of students and Triangle residents everyday. JESSICA HARDISON Litchfield said they have heard a fixed budget the Town Council sets. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR requests from the community for He said the number one priority something, that we haven’t made a come up with this plan,” Gu said. [email protected] certain changes in transportation of the changes is to be as efficient mistake or anything.” Parker said the Town is trying RYAN WILCOX services, including more weekend as possible and to serve as many A concern arising from these to provide the best service possible SPORTS EDITOR services and an increased frequency residents as possible. potential changes to the transit for residents. [email protected] of stops in certain areas. According to the Short Range system is how these changes are going “This is about providing the best JEFFREY SHUTTER “In order to look at some of these, Transit Plan, the next steps to affect low-income residents in service possible, maximizing the DESIGN & GRAPHICS EDITOR we need to take an overall look at for implementation are to get Chapel Hill.