The Mount Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries stand as two of Washington, DC’s oldest African American burial grounds, yet their histories remain largely overlooked. These sacred spaces bear witness to the lives of Black Georgetown’s residents—enslaved and free—who shaped the city’s history but were often excluded from its recorded narratives.

In this Landmark Lecture, Lisa Fager, Executive Director of the Black Georgetown Foundation, will explore the cemeteries as sites of remembrance, resistance, and resilience. Through historical accounts, archaeological findings, and ongoing preservation efforts, she will highlight their significance in Georgetown’s Black community, the Underground Railroad, and the broader struggle for African American dignity in life and death.

Additionally, Lisa will provide an up-to-date overview of the ongoing preservation efforts, including new discoveries through archaeology, recent partnerships, community engagement initiatives, and the DC African American Burial Grounds Act of 2025, which seeks to secure funding and legal protections for these historic sites.

This discussion will illuminate the ongoing fight to reclaim, protect, and preserve Black Georgetown’s hidden history—a story that continues to unfold today.

Lisa Fager is the Executive Director of the Black Georgetown Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reclaiming the past and preserving the future of the historic Mount Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries in Georgetown. Active from 1808 to 1950, these cemeteries are among the oldest historically African American burial grounds in Washington, DC. Lisa leads efforts to protect, restore, and interpret these sacred spaces, ensuring that the wealth of stories, historical artifacts, and legacies of Black Georgetown are properly recognized and honored.

Under her leadership, the Foundation has gained national recognition. Lisa’s work is featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Discovery Science Channel, PBS NewsHour, and numerous other publications and media outlets. She is also a published scholar, co-authoring "Nannie's Stone: Commemoration and Resistance" with Mark Auslander in Southern Spaces (July 2023).

Lisa’s commitment to historic preservation, public memory, and community engagement continues to shape the future of Black Georgetown, ensuring that its history remains a vital part of the national narrative.