The unveiling of a historical marker at Zion Cemetery on Wednesday marked a much-anticipated step toward restoration and preservation of the Tampa burial ground.
Elected officials and community members gathered for a dedication of the marker, provided by Mayor Jane Castor. Proclamations for the continued recognition and restoration of the grave sites were also presented by the city and Tampa Housing Authority.
READ MORE: Floridians seeking lost family in erased Black cemeteries need a research facility, a resident says
“I come here this morning as a part of remembering and representing … our loved ones whose remains are interred … and representing those whom I don't know and you don't know, but who also need to be remembered,” Jeraldine Williams said.
Williams said her great-great-grandmother was buried at Zion Cemetery, and “her grave has been desecrated for about 100 years.”
The 2.5-acre cemetery, which is believed to be Tampa’s first burial ground for African American residents, was created in 1901. In the mid-1920s, the cemetery was owned by white businessmen who sold parts of the land for development.
Today, Robles Park Village public housing stands empty on the grave sites. In recent years, as this history has come to light, the names of 725 people buried at Zion Cemetery have been confirmed, and families living on parts of the graveyard were relocated.
Among them was Reva Iman, who spoke at Wednesday's ceremony. She said it was traumatic when the rumors were confirmed and human remains were found bordering her apartment building.
“I was there firsthand to experience it. … We had to bring therapists in for the kids and adults and the seniors. We were wondering, you know, where do we go from here?” Iman said.
Zion Cemetery is not a unique case in the greater Tampa Bay region.
There are several Black cemeteries in Tampa neighborhoods, including Memorial Park and College Hill, that require ongoing preservation efforts, said University of South Florida anthropology professor Antoinette Jackson, who also directs the Black Cemetery Network.
“All over the Tampa Bay area there are, unfortunately … cemeteries that need to be recognized, and some have been. Some have not, yet,” she said.
At the site of Zion Cemetery, community leaders also want a memorial site and a genealogy research center for descendants of those buried.
