South Jersey’s Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery Remains Passion for Lisa Money, Supporters
A sign stands at the entrance of the historic Buffalo Soldier's Cemetery in Franklin. Photo by Kadaysha Little
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was produced as part of the South Jersey Emerging Journalists Project (SJEJP), an independent initiative dedicated to supporting content creators and emerging journalists from underserved communities across Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, and Atlantic counties.
BY KADAYSHA LITTLE | South Jersey Emerging Journalists Project
FRANKLIN — The 22nd Regiment U.S. Colored Troops Cemetery, or Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery, honors and holds colored soldiers who participated in the fight for freedom in various wars.
The 22nd Regiment U.S. Colored Troop Cemetery is located on 3501 Tuckahoe Road, in Franklin. The graves all have American flags, and some are decorated with reefs tied with red ribbon. It is enclosed with a red fence and has greenery throughout.
The cemetery has remained a passion for Lisa Money, the former Student Transportation of America bus driver who led the initial reconstruction of the cemetery. After all the media attention of her original effort disappeared, Money continues regularly scheduled maintenance on the cemetery.
Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery is maintained through landscaping work, power washing graves and redecorating.
“It is a community effort,” Money said. “We go out like three times a year, three to four times a year.”
Back in 2019, Money set out to revamp an abandoned cemetery, where Black soldiers from several wars were laid to rest. Upon finding the cemetery was in disrepair, with overgrown weeds and grave markers that were illegible.
“The cemetery was really overgrown; it was very overgrown.” Money said.
Money immediately got to work, calling multiple organizations and individuals to help her complete the task. The help on the project ranged from individuals like her daughter and husband, to organizations like Camden County, Veterans of Foreign Wars of New Jersey, and the Gloucester County Institute of Technology.
The restored 22nd Regiment U.S. Colored Troops Cemetery is an example of the product that comes from community effort and commitment towards history preservation.
The National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club Southern New Jersey Chapter or NABSTMC was another aid in the restoration of the Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery.
President of NABSTMC, Kris Clark, commented on the association’s connection with the Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery and the importance of honoring the legacy of the 22nd Regiment
U.S. Colored Troops.
“In 2019, the New Jersey Chapter received a request from Lisa Money asking if we could assist with cleaning up the cemetery, as its maintenance had been lacking for quite some time,” Clark said. “Without hesitation, we reached out to our sister chapters across New Jersey, as well as our nearby Pennsylvania Chapter. Together, we came together for an afternoon of hard work, dedication, and plenty of sweat to restore and clean the grounds.
“Since that day, we have continued to answer the call whenever help is needed, doing our part to honor and preserve this sacred resting place and the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers who served our nation.”
The Buffalo Soldiers Cemetery remains in great condition, with benches for visitors to leisure on
while they pay their respects. The troops are honored and remembered well through the beautiful maintenance of the property.
Passionate about storytelling and public engagement, Kadaysha Little has been in several roles involving communications since graduating from Thomas Jefferson University. She flourishes in the opportunity to combine voice, values, and vision to make an impact. She can be reached at kadaysha.sjejp@gmail.com
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