, 2022-11-10 03:20:00,

More than a dozen unmarked graves at South Carolina church cemetery belong to African Americans who were once enslaved.The new find at Bethel United Methodist Church in Simpsonville comes after Omega Mapping Services were called in on Monday to use ground penetrating radar in Bethel Cemetery. Len Strozier scanned the grassy area around a single marker that reads: “In memory of enslaved African Americans buried here.”Strozier then placed orange flags on all of the areas that indicate someone is buried there.”If I place an orange flag in the ground, I’m placing it on the ‘belt buckle’ of the person who is buried there,” Strozier said.Many parishioners from the church were present for the release of the results. At this time, those buried without markers have not been identified, but the church claims they’re beginning to learn more about the people buried without headstones.”We have learned that these slaves worked for members of the church and attended church here at Bethel too,” says Harriett Dease, the Chair of the Administration Council at BUMC. With help from a GoFundMe campaign, Omega Mapping Services was brought in to investigate by Girl Scout Troop 1967 and their troop leader, Tracey Graham. “We’re always asking what we can do for the church because the church does so much for us,” Graham said.Graham said the troop is looking to earn its Silver Award by helping the community with a project.The scouts were given the option of planting a perennial flower…

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