sweet auburn | 2022 volume i
I n every season of the year , visitors leave things for the dead at Mount Auburn . Flowers and wreaths , of course ; Valentine ’ s and Mother ’ s Day bouquets ; flags at Veteran ’ s Day and Memorial Day . Following the Jewish tradition , visitors may leave small stones by a grave or on top of a monument — a sign that someone remembers and has passed by . In other cultures and other cemeteries , it is customary to leave food , drink , clothing , and money ( usually not negotiable currency ) for the dead , so they will not be wanting in the next life . But grave goods can also be very personal and eccentric . I once found a copy of the Harvard Lampoon magazine , ineffectively sealed in a Ziplok bag , on the grave of the magazine ’ s founder John Marquand ( 1893 – 1960 ) at Mount Auburn ’ s Harvard Corporation Lot . I recently visited Chicago ’ s Forest Park Cemetery , where callers have left dozens of union buttons , a poem , and a few cans of beer at the monument honoring martyred labor organizers . The grave of jazz genius Louis Armstrong in Flushing , New York , is a constantly shifting collection of tiny plastic trumpets , vinyl records , coins , flowers , candles , and Mardi Gras beads , a nod to Armstrong ’ s roots in New Orleans . Each of these items represents a link between the living and the dead , a reminder that the significance of someone ’ s life has not been forgotten and a hope that the deceased are comfortable , wherever they are .
Rarely , though , do the dead receive letters . So when last autumn a letter was found on the grave of Senator Charles Sumner ( 1811 – 1874 ) on Arethusa Path , it caught our attention .
The letter read :
Dear Senator Sumner ,
My name is Isabelle , and you ’ re my hero . Right now it ’ s the year 2021 . I learned about you through my history class , and I ’ ve never been the same . Before you , I wanted to go into law , but for all the wrong reasons . I thought all that mattered was making money , but I was wrong . Your life and career inspired me beyond any dreams of material success . You were so passionate about furthering the rights of African Americans that you were nearly fatally injured … how many people can say that ? Your time as an abolitionist and subsequently a civil rights leader made me realize that I can put my oratory talents ( much like your own ) to a meaningful use in the America I ’ m living in . The truth is , things still aren ’ t great here in the 21st century : voting rights are still being restricted by the South , and hate crimes are still being committed against Black Americans . Still , the influence you had on civil rights has not gone unnoticed : your civil rights bill was passed then unfortunately repealed , but a similar version was passed in the 1960s . People have finally begun to think the way you did in your time , and I ’ m doing everything I can to make sure you get your recognition . I ’ m actually known for being your biggest fan by my friends and family , and I ’ ll tell your story to everyone I know . Historians have continued to write about you , and I will do everything I can to keep up your legacy as well . I ’ ve just started studying at Amherst College , where I hope to get a degree in American History along with Law . I ’ m pursuing this in your spirit ; that of using my principle and power to uplift others . I am so grateful to have known you , even if it was over 100 years apart . I hope you are resting in peace with the knowledge that your dreams for your country are being fought for to this very day .
Sincerely , Isabelle Anderson , 10 / 11 / 2021
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