Dedicated in 1995, the African American Heritage Park celebrates Black individuals, organizations, institutions, and movements that helped build and shape the city and community. The park preserves the one-acre Black Baptist Cemetery established in 1885 by the Silver Leaf Society. Alexandria's rich African American history is reflected in the memorial park, where sculptures by Jerome Meadows and interpretive signs focus on Sanctuary, Freedom, Civil Rights, and Remembrance, highlighting the city's accomplishments and the known and unknown people buried on this site. The African American community of Alexandria had a rich and varied social life lived parallel to the other community, but their stories were rarely brought to public recognition.