Tallahassee marches against sale of unmarked graves of the formerly enslaved, confronts golfers and police

Tallahassee, FL – On February 7, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) led a second protest against the sale and privatization of the Capital City Golf Course now owned by the Capital City Country Club (CCCC). The land itself is the site of at least 17 known, unmarked graves of formerly enslaved people, has never been thoroughly surveyed, and is marked only by a small memorial.

The CCCC only opened its membership to the public in 2015, having maintained private membership for years as a loophole to remain segregated.

Tallahassee Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) member Regina Joseph, identifying the Black community’s struggle as one for Black liberation, said, “The city of Tallahassee does not care about Black people. It only cares about profit over people. We insist on our liberation.”

FAMU Students for a Democratic Society President Justin Jordan expressed similar frustration with the Tallahassee City Commission, saying, “these people cloak themselves in our communities when it’s convenient for them – when they need votes, And if you think these people have your best interest at heart, they voted against a motion to do further examination of these unmarked graves.”

Speeches were held at Country Club Park in the southwest corner of the property, then the group marched to the memorial site for more speeches. While speaking at the site, a group of golfers drove up, teed up, and hit shots over the heads of speakers, an act that directly endangered multiple people. With plenty of other open areas, golfers knowingly drove over grave sites the course is built upon as the protesters demanded they respect the lives of the people buried. The golfers and owners called the police, but they were unable to trespass marchers, as the memorial site is open to the public.

TCAC President Delilah Pierre described this as an illustration of the difficulties of negotiating the reversal of the sale, “I’ve heard people ask, ‘Have you tried to talk to the commissioners? Have you tried to talk to the golfers?’ In my opinion they’re all to be held accountable because they all know what they’re doing.”

Tallahassee SDS and Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA) also participated in the action, connecting the struggle for students on campus and immigrants in the community to the continual erasing and whitewashing of Black people’s history.

Participants were encouraged to attend the city commission meeting on February 18 to demand the reversal of the sale, which occurred despite widespread opposition from Tallahassee residents, as well as demand a full archaeological survey and a town hall meeting. Additionally, TCAC has been canvassing in nearby neighborhoods and circulated a petition to reverse the sale, which has currently gathered nearly 200 signatures.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #TCAC #FRSO