Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-4-19

Local
Community Cleanup Planned For Memorial Park Cemetery
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Sunday, October 6, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., mem- bers of the community, along with city employees will as- semble at the intersection of N. 22nd Street and E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. The purpose of the gathering is to clean up the Memorial Park Cemetery.
Tampa businessman Mar- vin Knight said, “The owner of the cemetery has died and we don’t want this cemetery to become an eyesore in our com- munity. We are going to meet up there on Sunday and clean up it. We are asking anyone
MARVIN KNIGHT ...Community Activist
who wants to be a part of the cleanup to come out and help us.”
J. C. Young, of S.A.W. (Show Another Way), said “The East side community, in
J. C. YOUNG
... S.A.W. Foundation
conjunction with the City of Tampa, several volunteers, and others will be out there cleaning up the cemetery. We will be cutting grass and pick- ing up trash, cleaning and
pulling weeds from around the graves. We are trying to pay re- spect and homage to the peo- ple of our community who have passed on.”
Mayor Jane Castor said, “It’s no surprise to me that these selfless, Tampa residents and leaders are coming to- gether to uplift, upkeep and unite to ensure Memorial Park Cemetery is neither blighted or forgotten.
“That’s just the Tampa way, we are a community founded on our diversity and gracious acts that join the fabric of this great city together. Thank you for all you do for our commu- nity each and every day.”
The Memorial Park Ceme-
tery came into existence in 1919 as a burial place for African Americans. It has been privately owned since its in- ception. However, the owner, Mr. James Robinson died attheageof66onJuly15, 2019. He had no children and his relatives are not interested in maintaining the 20 acres that is the burial place of an es- timated 6,000 African Ameri- cans.
After the cleanup, organiz- ers plan to begin the process of locating and marking the graves. Anyone who wants to take part in the project can contact Young at (813) 360- 3520 or Marvin Knight at (813) 453-5690.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDA PAGE 3-A