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The state Senate passed a bill that funds efforts to protect historic African-American cemeteries. The bill was sparked by a history of neglect of African-American cemeteries.
The Senate voted to pass a bill that would create a Historic Cemeteries Program to provide grants to research, restore and maintain abandoned African-American cemeteries.
“And in order to move forward, we have to find out what has been there in the past, where our history has gone, and where we will continue to go.”
Democratic Senator Bobby Powell sponsored the bill. He was joined on the floor by House minority leader Fentrice Driskell, who sponsored the bill in the House. She said the idea was sparked by Zion Cemetery, Tampa’s first African-American cemetery. The cemetery was destroyed by the housing authority in the 20th Century to build housing for mostly-white communities.
“Tampa Housing Authority built on top of an abandoned Black cemetery, and money exchanged hands knowing that there was a cemetery there, so it caused a lot of trauma and re-traumatization to the community once it was uncovered.”
Numerous legislators and members of the public voiced support for the bill in the Senate, including Democratic Senator Geraldine Thompson.
“There is so much in terms of our culture, so much in terms of our heritage, so many lives that were lived, so many sacrifices that were made, and we need to honor those individuals.”
The bill passed unanimously.
