Expanded Search Planned at Former Black Cemetery Site in MacDill Air Force Base

TAMPA, Fla. - The U.S. Air Force is set to expand its search for gravesites at a former Black cemetery in MacDill Air Force Base, located in Tampa, Florida. Following a nonintrusive archaeological survey conducted over the past two years, 121 potential sites have been identified, according to Lt. Laura Anderson, a base official.

During the survey, a total of 58 probable graves and 63 possible graves were discovered. To further investigate the area, search teams have been deployed with ground penetrating radar and cadaver dogs. Lt. Anderson revealed plans to extend the search to an area north of the main cemetery site in the upcoming year.

The potential existence of the Black cemetery was brought to the attention of MacDill officials by the Tampa Bay History Center in 2019. In 2021, the base organized a memorial service and dedicated a memorial on site to honor those buried in the cemetery. The Port Tampa Cemetery, where the graves were located, had its headstones removed during the construction of the base in the late 1930s. However, the bodies remained in the area, which has remained undeveloped due to the need for it to stay free of vertical structures for aircraft safety.

Base officials expressed their commitment to working with the community to appropriately document the cemetery site and pay respect to the individuals buried there. Lt. Anderson acknowledged the mistakes made in the past and expressed the desire to rectify them, stating, "We know obviously there was wrong done in the past, but we're working together with our community members. We want to make what was wrong right."

Yvette Lewis, president of the NAACP Hillsborough County branch, commended the efforts of base officials in addressing the concerns of the community, describing their actions as going "above and beyond." However, she stressed the importance of further efforts to memorialize the site and ensure its history is accurately told.

As the search for gravesites continues and collaboration with the community remains a priority, MacDill Air Force Base aims to bring closure to this chapter of the cemetery's history and honor the memory of those laid to rest there.