Hidden Beneath Asphalt: Unearthing a Forgotten African American Cemetery With 70 Graves in Florida
The most famous case of missing black graves are perhaps the unmarked burials of the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 which historians estimate 300 black people were killed.
There are growing efforts by community advocates and lawmakers to search for black graves that have become lost across the country due to America’s long history of racism against African Americans. In February 2019, Congressional lawmakers introduced the African-American Burial Grounds Network Act to create a national database of historic black cemeteries under the National Park Service.
“The truth has come out,” Muhammad Abdur-Rahim, a former resident of Clearwater Heights, said. “We have had this mystery for years. Now we can move on to properly memorialize those who were left behind.”
Next, meet Hattie McDaniel, the first black person to win an Oscar. Then, learn about Bessie Stringfield, the black motorcycle queen who rode against prejudice.