After decades of neglect, Richmond's historic Black cemeteries become city-owned

The big picture: An estimated tens of thousands of free and formerly enslaved people are buried across the 76 acres of land that make up East End, Evergreen and Forest View cemeteries.

• These include prominent Black Richmonders like civil rights leader Maggie L. Walker and John Mitchell Jr., the Richmond Planet editor who fought against lynch mobs in the South.
• Other graves are unmarked.

Yes, but: Black cemeteries in Richmond — and Virginia — have fallen into disrepair after decades of neglect.

• Cleaning them up and recording their history has largely fallen to volunteer groups.
• State lawmakers have sought public funding to help restore them, using East End and Evergreen as "test cases," reported the Times-Dispatch.
• But Enrichmond, the foundation in charge of maintaining the lands, became swept up in criticism over its lack of care and transparency in restoration efforts.
• That led the city to pull $75,000 in funding to it and call for an investigation once it collapsed.

Between the lines: The money entrusted to the foundation for preservation is still unaccounted for.