A plaque dedication ceremony was held in memory of Cato, an enslaved bookbinder who worked for William Boylan at his printing press in Raleigh. Boylan published a newspaper, The Raleigh Minerva, where Cato’s obituary was published in 1811- a remarkable and most unusual tribute to an enslaved person. Cato’s obituary was discovered by RCCP board member Betsy Shaw while doing research at the Olivia Raney Local History Library. Cato’s story is the only one confirmed of more than 1,000 individuals buried in that section.

The plaque project took several years before its fruition, including fundraising and receiving city approval. Funding for the plaque was donated by the Richard Godwin family and RCCP.

Raleigh is unique as a North Carolina city that designated an area for the burial of its Black citizens when public City Cemetery was established in 1798. Racial inclusivity, part of the cemetery’s “social history” – is one criterion of several to qualify for the National Register of Historic Places.