February’s Mission of the Month is Mt. Olive Cemetery, established in 1936 on land adjacent to the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School. African American families that have made significant contributions to the community have buried their beloved family members there, including Joseph Anderson’s descendants, Viola King Barnette's descendants, and numerous military veterans.

The ongoing care and maintenance of the cemetery are overseen by trustees representing families with ancestors buried on the land purchased from Madison County Schools in 1936.

How to Support the Mt. Olive Cemetery

Mission of the Month funds given this month will go toward enhancing the historic Black cemetery, as will proceeds from the February 24th Mt. Olive Soup Supper sponsored by Madison ROOTS:

Donations of desserts for the Soup Supper are also needed.
Please sign up with your food contribution on the sheet in the fellowship hall or see Mary Orazem.
Plan to join the community for supper, dine-in or take-out, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 (rescheduled from February due to the winter storm), at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 40 Mt. Olive Drive, Mars Hill.

Plan to attend

Guest Speaker for our Mission of the Month

Phyllis “Lady Sunshine” Utley proudly embraces her Afro-Indigenous heritage as a descendant of the Ye Iswa, People of the River, of the Otter Clan—recognized today as the Catawba Nation. Her work shines across many realms, including ancestral honoring, reparative justice, public policy, and creative artistry. She serves as the Project Manager for the Land of Sky Regional Council’s Remembrance Project, where she helps guide community healing and truth-telling rooted in history, preservation, and restoration. The Mt. Olive Cemetery Soup Supper inspired the grant awarded to fund the Remembrance Project.

A Historic Cemetery in Mars Hill’s Long Ridge Community

Established in 1936, Mt. Olive Cemetery located in Mars Hill’s Long Ridge Community and near the Anderson Rosenwald School. African-American families that have made significant contributions to the community have buried their beloved family members there, including Joseph Anderson’s descendants, Viola King Barnette's descendants, and numerous military veterans.

Founded in 1936, the Cemetery was purchased from the County School Board and is adjacent to the Historic Anderson-Rosenwald School. Among those buried there are the decedents of Mr. Joseph Anderson, who was one of the founders of Mars Hill University and Ms. Viola King Barnette, whose letter to the State School Board Superintendent was responsible for ensuring that all children across the state could receive a public secondary education.