About South-View Cemetery
South-View Cemetery was founded in 1886 by nine Black businessmen during the post-Civil War era after African Americans faced degrading and discriminatory burial practices at segregated cemeteries. The cemetery became a dignified resting place created and governed by Atlanta’s Black community and today encompasses more than 100 acres. Its history reflects the growth of African American institutions, businesses, churches, education, and civic leadership in Atlanta after emancipation.
More than 80,000 African Americans are buried at South-View, including prominent educators, business leaders, pastors, military figures, musicians, athletes, and civil rights activists. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King are interred there, while Martin Luther King, Jr., Benjamin Mays, and Henry O. Flipper were each originally buried at South-View before later reinterment elsewhere. Visitors can explore the grounds and use a free self-guided cell-phone walking and driving tour; special group tours are also available by reservation.
