HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Memorial Park Cemetery is full of family memories for Norene Miller.
"It's about 12 here that I know of: my mother; my two brothers; my grandfather, who is a World War II veteran," Miller said.
The 20-acre cemetery in East Tampa is also full of Black history.
"This cemetery has been a staple in the Black community for many years because this was one of the only places that I knew Black people were able to be buried," Miller explained.
Of the thousands of graves in the sprawling cemetery, there are those of former community leaders, both an African American recording artist and minor league baseball player, and an estimated 830 military veterans.
According to the surviving grave markers, many veterans served in both World Wars.
Additionally, at least two served in the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), a Union Army branch, during the Civil War.
"I'm accustomed to coming here at least once every six months or so to visit the graves," Miller said.
However, Memorial Park Cemetery is the source of heartache for Miller and others because the cemetery is now under new, unexpected ownership after a misstep by the City of Tampa.
"It has really taken a toll on my health," said Miller. "There was a point I was outraged, but now, I'm just traumatized."
Because the cemetery's owner died about three years ago, the City of Tampa says it started maintaining it and cleaning it regularly with the help of volunteer groups like Aileen Henderson's not-for-profit, the Cemetery Society.
"We've [cleaned] Memorial Park Cemetery at least twice," Henderson said.
Recently, Henderson was surprised when she learned the property was no longer under the city's control.
"I found out through an email that the cemetery had been lost in an auction," she recalled.
According to a City of Tampa spokesperson, in an effort to buy the cemetery, the city put a lien on the property equal to the amount of maintenance provided.
Then, the property was set for foreclosure. The city hoped to buy the property during an auction last year but was surprisingly outbid.
"It went to a property flipper for $18,000 because, as the story goes, the city sort of fell asleep at the wheel," said Henderson.
The city stresses that, no matter what happens, the cemetery will not be developed.
"Memorial Park Cemetery will forever be given the respect, protection and maintenance it deserves as a historic landmark," city spokesperson Adam Smith wrote in an email to ABC Action News.
However, Henderson and Miller are unconvinced and are now urging the city to correct its mistake.
"Stop this madness," Miller said. "Somebody doesn't have a conscience to just think it's okay to discard Black people in this city."
Thursday, a branch of city government — known as the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) — is set to discuss buying the cemetery using its funds, traditionally used to spur economic development and beautification efforts in specific city neighborhoods, including East Tampa.
However, Miller thinks the city should pay using funds from the city budget.
Councilman Orlando Gudes agrees.
"It never should have gotten to this point," Gudes said Wednesday. "The city dropped the ball."
Miller hopes the city will have good news during the CRA meeting on Thursday.
"I just want this to be fixed, and I want it to happen soon. I don't want to be talking about it a year from now or two years," she said. "The city has the means to do what's right, and they should do it quickly."
However, according to a memo attached to the CRA meeting agenda, at some point Wednesday afternoon or evening, city staff has asked the CRA members — who also serve on Tampa City Council — to delay the conversation.
Whether the discussion is delayed or not, Henderson with the Cemetery Society will be there to advocate for the historic cemetery.
"I would beg the community to step forward," she said. "Step up. Write council. Call council. Write your mayor. Call the mayor."
