Launched in 2020 at the University of South Florida, the African American Burial Ground & Remembering Project (AABGP) is a deeply collaborative effort to confront the long history of erasure surrounding Black cemeteries in Florida. This initiative brings together faculty, students, local historians, artists, and community members to rediscover and honor the lives of those buried in forgotten or neglected burial grounds.
At the heart of the project are two major sites:
- Zion Cemetery in Tampa, the city’s first recognized African American cemetery, which was shockingly discovered beneath a public housing complex. Ground-penetrating radar revealed more than 300 coffins still resting below.
- The Oaklawn Cemetery Complex in St. Petersburg, which includes Moffett and Evergreen Cemeteries, partially lost under highways and stadium development.
Mission & Methods: Unerase, Reimagine, and Remember
The AABGP’s mission is clear: to unbury physical sites, unerase historical records, and reclaim memory in partnership with the communities whose ancestors are interred there.
Their methods include:
- Archival research and mapping to trace cemetery boundaries, ownership, and interments.
- Oral history interviews with descendants, residents, and local leaders who share memories, stories, and cultural traditions linked to these burial grounds.
- Community programming like walking tours, exhibitions, and public forums to foster dialogue, healing, and awareness.
- Visual storytelling through tools like interactive maps and storyboards that make the history tangible and engaging.
Voices of the Past and Present
The project’s oral history component brings voices to the forefront—voices that have often been silenced or ignored. These interviews feature descendants of the buried, local activists, faith leaders, and city officials who speak not only of loss, but also of resilience, pride, and the right to remembrance.
From Tampa to St. Pete, these testimonies echo a shared plea: to treat these burial grounds not as footnotes, but as foundational to the story of the city and the country.
Why This Matters: From Wounds to Witness & Healing
This isn’t just a research initiative—it’s a movement for historical justice. When cemeteries are paved over, moved without consent, or mismanaged, it's not only the dead who are disrespected—it's the living, too. Communities are robbed of their elders, their genealogies, their sacred sites.
The AABGP reframes these spaces not as forgotten plots, but as living history—deserving of restoration, protection, and reverence. By reclaiming these cemeteries, the project participates in a form of rematriation: returning what was stolen and lifting up what was hidden.
Forward-Looking Reflections
The African American Burial Ground & Remembering Project doesn't stop at Florida's borders. Its work ripples outward, influencing national preservation policy and serving as a model for grassroots remembrance everywhere. It aligns with growing calls for legislation to protect Black burial grounds across the U.S. and to properly fund their recovery and stewardship.
Looking ahead, the project continues to expand its outreach through:
- Educational initiatives that bring this history into classrooms and cultural centers.
- Artistic responses that interpret the histories through dance, music, visual art, and performance.
- Collaborations with city planners and architects to reintegrate these spaces into the urban landscape in dignified and visible ways.
In Summary
The African American Burial Ground & Remembering Project is a quiet revolution. It takes what was hidden—coffins under parking lots, names lost in ledgers, memories buried deep—and brings them to light. It’s about honoring the ancestors not just with words, but with action.
It teaches us that remembrance is resistance. That history, when told truthfully and inclusively, can be a healing force. And that some of the most important work we can do is to listen to the voices of the past—then make sure they’re never forgotten again.
Here is a 60 Minutes exposé of why this is important. It has happened all over the country and has been in the news after discovery in many states.
Uncovering Black Cemeteries Paved Over in Florida
