Cincinnati's oldest black cemetery fighting graffiti, vandalism

There were few places for black Cincinnatians to bury their dead in 1864, when Union Baptist Cemetery interred its first bodies. Over the next 90 years, Union Baptist’s 15 acres became the final resting place of black Civil War veterans, former slaves and civil rights activists. It houses the remains of Jennie Porter, the first-ever black person to receive a PhD from the University of Cincinnati, and Medal of Honor recipient Powhatan Beaty. That’s why it’s so difficult to see the tipped-over headstones and graffiti marking its grounds in 2019, Union Baptist chairwoman Angelita Jones said Wednesday.