Tallahassee marches to oppose sale of public land containing graves of enslaved people

Tallahassee, FL – On January 10, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee marched and rallied with local residents to protest the sale of the city-owned golf course to the Capital City Country Club (CCCC). The land is known to include a historic cemetery containing the remains of at least 17 formerly enslaved people, with evidence of many more that have not been marked. 

The sale was pushed through despite mass public outcry, as opponents demanding the city reverse the sale, hold a town hall, conduct a full survey of the graveyard in order to protect the graves, and keep the land public in perpetuity. Speaking about the group’s demands, Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) said, “We need to fight for our city to respect Black history and respect the wishes of the public!” 

Justin Jordan, a member of FAMU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, “What price would you put on a human life? On the life of a person who suffered through the torture of slavery? Well, the city of Tallahassee put a price on them. The city of Tallahassee sold the unmarked remains of potentially dozens to a country club with a history of segregation.”

After rallying, the group marched towards the CCCC to make their demands heard directly. Upon nearing the course, golfers began yelling racist remarks like “All lives matter.” After marchers stepped onto the course, the Tallahassee Police Department immediately intercepted the group and attempted to trespass them off of land that should be public. 

Refusing to be silent, the group instead took to the streets, marching over two miles around the course towards the site of the graves. Upon reaching the site, the group discovered that the memorial had still not fully been constructed, and that the ground around the site had been ripped up by heavy equipment.

Other groups in attendance included Tallahassee Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Power Up People, Red Hills Anarchists, and the Tallahassee Coalition Against Trump. Participants were encouraged to attend the next city commission meeting on January 14 to demand the reversal of the sale, with more action planned for the course itself in coming weeks.

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