Tampa creates new task force to address erased, destroyed African American cemeteries

With thousands of missing graves from several destroyed African American cemeteries throughout Tampa, the city created a new task force to adopt policies and ownership concerns when these sites are discovered on public and/or private property, city spokesperson Adam Smith said Thursday.

The city task force comes on the heels of a newly-formed state task force created to research similar cemeteries across Florida.

The state committee was inspired by archaeologists’ findings of several hundred graves from Zion Cemetery at Robles Park Village, a towing company lot and parcel of land belonging to businessman Richard Gonzmart.

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