TAMPA, Fla. — The discovery of a lost African American cemetery from the early 1900's that might still exist underneath part of a public housing development has prompted councilman Orlando Gudes to take action.
"We've got to investigate and have a conversation,” he said about the old Zion Cemetery, which once sat along Florida Avenue in Tampa.
At Thursday’s council meeting, Gudes made a motion for the legal department to begin extensive research on the city's codes, which could inform ordinances moving forward.
"What are our policies? What are our protocols with land development when bodies are found?" Gudes asked.
He received unanimous support.
"You have hundreds of possibly unaccounted graves,” said councilman Guido Maniscalco. “This really opens the door to a discussion that is very, very important."
"It's a historical injustice,” said Rebecca O’Sullivan with the Florida Public Archaeology Network at USF. “These are the local people who made Tampa what it is today, and this just shows how people in the past thought about the people who were buried there.”
O’Sullivan said city officials have reached out to her department to see if they can help solve the mystery. O’Sullivan said the department would be willing to use their ground-penetrating radar technology to help determine what’s beneath the ground.
It’s a welcome step for Gudes, who has a unique perspective as a funeral home director.
"When someone dies, people want to make sure people have proper burial rights and make sure that they're being honored in every which way and every form,” he said.
He hopes to have answers from the legal department by late August.
Reporter Paul Guzzo at the Tampa Bay Times was first to report nearly 400 people buried in our area might be missing. Click here to read his coverage.
Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.
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