Hidden Beneath Asphalt: Unearthing a Forgotten African American Cemetery With 70 Graves in Florida
Separately, 44 more graves from an unnamed early-20th century all-black cemetery were found on an empty lot now owned by the Pinellas County School District. Similar to the St. Matthew cemetery, that burial site was moved to Parklawn in the 1950s, but unmarked graves were left behind.
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.
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