One of the most profound and moving locations in the cemetery is known simply as Section 27. It lies at the far North end of the cemetery – a long walk from the graves of the Kennedy brothers or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.  Most people never see Section 27.

Section 27 today houses the graves of more than 3800 former slaves from what was called “Freedman’s Village.”

In 1862, President Lincoln emancipated the slaves in Washington DC. Shortly thereafter, a settlement called Freedman’s Village was established to house the freed slaves at Arlington.  The Freedman’s Village lasted for over 30 years.  Government workers provided help in building schools, hospitals and housing.  Sojourner Truth was appointed to look after the welfare of those former slaves.

In addition, there are thousands more buried in Section 27 who were killed as part of the U.S. Colored Troops during and after the Civil War.

Most of the headstones are marked only with the words “citizen,” or “civilian.”  Some of the markers are engraved with the now politically incorrect “USCT” – United States Colored Troops.  But, that simple word “citizen” represents the beginning of a revolution in the American culture – men and women born as slaves, who in their death for the first time were honored with the title “citizen.”