18th Annual Murder, Mayhem & Misadventure Walking Tours
Oct
26
10:00 AM10:00

18th Annual Murder, Mayhem & Misadventure Walking Tours

  • 1601 Navasota Street Austin, TX, 78702 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Tours start at 10:00 a.m. and leave on the half-hour, with the last tour strolling out at 2:30.  Each tour lasts about 45 minutes.

Some of Oakwood’s “residents” are eager to tell their stories include the mother who had to bury two of her children, a man who was shot for not getting a job, suicides, murders, and love triangles.

Remember to come prepared.  Please wear comfortable shoes as some of the terrain can be uneven. All children must be accompanied by an adult and no pets are allowed in city cemeteries. For those with mobility issues, a chauffeured golf cart will be provided twice during the day. 

It’s our most popular event and we are looking forward to having you join us.  It’s a great way to learn a little of Austin’s history! Free but donations are welcome and appreciated.

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Aug
3
10:30 AM10:30

Juanita Craft Gravestone Dedication

Please join Save Austin's Cemeteries and The Friends of Juanita Craft to remember and dedicate the beautiful new gravestone for Juanita Craft, the pioneering Civil Rights leader.  A memorial program will be held at Oakwood Memorial Chapel starting at 10:30 am.  Following the program, there will be a blessing and flower laying at the gravesite at Evergreen Cemetery.  Please join us in remembering this amazing woman.

Juanita Craft, born Juanita Shanks, was born in Round Rock, Texas in 1902. She was the only child of school teachers. Craft received her teaching certificate from Sam Huston College in Austin, Texas.  

After moving to Dallas, Craft joined the NAACP in 1935.  She eventually became the Dallas NAACP membership chair in 1942 and the Texas NAACP field organizer in 1946.  She helped organize 182 branches of the NAACP over eleven years.  In 1944, Craft became the first black woman in Dallas County to vote in a public election.  In 1955, she organized a protest against the State Fair of Texas against its policy of admitting blacks on only one day.  Craft also assisted in the organization of protests and pickets in segregated lunch counters, restaurants, theaters and public transportation.  Mrs. Craft served two terms on the Dallas City Council from 1975 and 1979.  Craft received many awards honoring her dedication to the Civil Rights movement, including the NAACP Golden Heritage Life Membership Award and the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award.  

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All Together Here - Monument Dedication and Memorial Events
May
19
to May 21

All Together Here - Monument Dedication and Memorial Events

  • Oakwood Cemetery Chapel (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for a 3-day event to dedicate a monument to honor the 36 men, women, and children reinterred at the Oakwood Cemetery from the Historic Colored Grounds.

In 2016, during the rehabilitation of the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel, archaeologists monitoring construction discovered the remains of men, women and children beneath the footprint of the Chapel. Construction was halted and thus began the journey of confronting injustice and gaining insight into the lives of the people who were discovered. In October 2020, with help from nationally renowned archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, community activists and City staff, this two-day symposium continued the public conversation in an online forum.

In November 2021, the men, women, and children were reinterred at the Oakwood Cemetery, and a small blessing event was held. Monuments were designed that are now ready to be dedicated with a memorial event.

Join us in the journey to explore and honor the people of Oakwood Cemetery.

For more information, see OakwoodSymposium.org

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Voices of Evergreen
Nov
29
6:30 PM18:30

Voices of Evergreen

  • George Washington Carver Museum Theatre (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Please join Save Austin's Cemeteries and The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for a showing of Voices of Evergreen, a 30-minute film introducing Evergreen Cemetery in East Austin and highlighting the lives of five notable African American Austinites interred at Evergreen - Norman Scales, Sr., Juanita Craft, Elmer Akins, Friendly Rice and Dr. Karl Downs. The film will be followed by a panel discussion. The event starts at 6:30 pm and will be over by 8:30 pm.

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