Over 400 USC students volunteered Saturday in the first day of the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Service and Event Series, according to WLTX.
One group spent the day clearing overgrowth from Columbia's oldest African-American burial site, Randolph Cemetery. The cemetery was founded in 1872 by 19 local black businessmen and politicians, who purchased the land from a preexisting cemetery.
Students who attended told WLTX they felt the community service spoke to King's legacy and to his commitment to helping others.
During their work, students discovered unmarked gravestones so overgrown they had gone unnoticed. Regina Monteith, the vice president of the Committee for the Restoration and Beautification of Randolph Cemetery (CRBRC), told WLTX that the newly discovered lot might not even be documented.
Another MLK Day of Service will be held on Jan. 23. Registration can be found on the Leadership and Service Center website.