This investigation by ProPublica is really shocking. Archaeological surveys intended to protect historic Black cemeteries are not as useful as they seem. Surveys are required by the state of Virginia for any construction site, such as big solar projects. But they are ignored or minimized by developers whose goal is to get their projects finished, one way or another.

As a result, historical sites, including Black cemeteries and other Black family sites, risk being erased. Large-scale developers, including big solar, tend to see them as inconvenient obstacles to completing their projects.