Our Story: Reclaiming the Narrative
At The Pope Barrow Heritage Association, we believe that a family is a library of untold stories. For many African American families, those stories have been obscured by the gaps in the traditional historical record.
Our non-profit was born out of a simple but powerful realization: our history is not lost; it is waiting to be found. Our goal is to trace our history from the present day back through the generations that built this nation.
Our Mission
To preserve, protect, and promote the genealogical and cultural history of the Pope and Barrow families through education, archival preservation, and the restoration of sacred ancestral sites.
What We Do
We bridge the gap between “the archive” and “the family table.” Our work is built on four core pillars:
| Pillar | Focus Area | Goal |
| Genealogy | Research & Records | Helping our families break through the “1870 Brick Wall” using census, probate, and DNA data. |
| Oral And Written History | Storytelling | Recording the voices of our elders to ensure their wisdom survives for the next century. |
| Preservation | Cemeteries & Land | Restoring the abandoned African American burial grounds through our Project Sacred Ground initiative. |
| Scholarship | Education | Providing scholarship resources for the next generation |
Pope Barrow Heritage Association, Inc. 