Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University’s Intensive Care Earth Club (ICE) hosted its third annual clean up at Sweet Olive Cemetery in recognition of Black History Month.
Officially dated to 1898, Sweet Olive was the first cemetery for African Americans incorporated in the Baton Rouge city limits.
ICE is an organization that focuses on restoring the Earth and cleaning up the community. In February of 2021, the club wanted to focus on something that would restore a part of Baton Rouge's history in honor of Black History month.
“This annual cleanup should be something that is continued because continuing this will help restore the community and the history of Baton Rouge that this cemetery embodies. If we continue to let this cemetery lie in ruins it would be like setting a fire to a library of history books,” stated Monei Thomas, student president of ICE.