TAMPA, Fla. — People are continuing to fight for Memorial Park Cemetery.
“In cemeteries is where the history is. That’s where you learn,” said Aileen Henderson, founder of The Cemetery Society.
Memorial Park Cemetery is full of Black history, with thousands of graves, including those of nearly 800 veterans. It’s a sacred staple in East Tampa.
“But I’m feeling that it’s being erased or forgotten,” said Norene Miller.
Miller told ABC Action News she has at least a dozen family members buried there.
“My mother, my two brothers, my grandfather, who’s a WWII veteran,” said Miller.
So when she found out the City of Tampa lost this property in an auction to a known property flipper, she was upset.
“My heart is broken right now. I’m traumatized from the mere fact that this happened,” said Miller.
Over the past couple of months, she and others in the community have been fighting to get the city to take ownership of the cemetery.
“It needs to be in their collection of historical cemeteries as an extremely significant, historical Black cemetery,” said Henderson.
“Preserve the dignity of the souls in this cemetery,” said Miller.
ABC Action News reached out to the city for answers; here’s what officials tell us happened.
The city started maintaining this property after its owner died about three years ago, and officials had an attorney put a lien on it to cover those costs.
When the estate wouldn’t deed the cemetery directly to Tampa, the city asked its attorneys to set it aside for foreclosure and bid on it in an auction.
Then in a failed attempt to buy it, the city was outbid.
Here’s the full statement:
Memorial Park Cemetery Fact Sheet by ABC Action News on Scribd
“It went to a property flipper for $18,000 because the story goes, the city sort of fell asleep at the wheel,” said Henderson.
“It is thousands of people in this cemetery that have contributed to this city. And we are being discarded. I’m just concerned how did the City of Tampa allowed a flipper to purchase this cemetery and not do the right thing for us,” said Miller.
City officials also said they reached out to other organizations and community groups to find someone to take over the historic landmark before setting it for foreclosure, to no avail— but Henderson found that surprising.
“You didn’t tell anybody. You didn’t give anyone the opportunity to step up and take care of this cemetery. I mean, I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been talking to the City of Tampa once a month for almost a year. The name of my not-for-profit is The Cemetery Society. Nobody told me,” said Henderson.
City officials told ABC Action News they “did not expect other bidders…”
“When will this stop? When will the City of Tampa do the right thing? Take ownership of this cemetery and do the right thing. And never let it happen anywhere in this city again,” said Miller.
The community is calling for a fix and fast
“I don’t want to be talking about it a year from now,” said Miller.
The CRA was supposed to discuss purchasing the cemetery earlier this month, but that was delayed.
The city now said it has reached out to the new property owner many times about buying the cemetery, as recently as last week.
Officials claim they have not heard back from him yet.
“I do not care what it costs because it should have never happened,” said Miller.
In the meantime, neighbors said they won’t stop fighting until the city owns the land and the people buried at Memorial Park Cemetery can continue to rest in peace.
“Communities should be outraged. Everyone should be outraged. I know how I’m feeling inside. I know I’m not alone,” said Miller.
“Write council, call council, write your mayor, call the mayor. Stand with us at these peaceful gatherings. Voice your opinion at council. You need to let your voice be heard,” said Henderson.
“Let them hear you. Pull together as a community and make the City of Tampa take this cemetery back,” she added.
Regardless of what happens, the city said the cemetery is forever protected from development.
