ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The City of St. Petersburg’s Housing and Land Use Committee on Thursday held conversations around annexing the historically Black Lincoln Cemetery in Gulfport.
“We have to stop pussyfooting around and to the right thing,” Councilmember Corey Givens said.
Givens, who has relatives buried in the cemetery, said annexation would be the right thing to do because the city de-annexed the cemetery without much reason decades ago, he said. The city kept the white cemetery directly across the road.
The cemetery is believed to have veteran graves from the destroyed Moffett Cemetery that once existed under land now covered by I-175.
During the construction of the interstate, historical news reports show crews found bones, but continued construction anyway.
Councilwoman Gina Driscoll made a motion during Thursday’s meeting for the city attorney to create a resolution for council to possibly move forward with the annexation process of Lincoln.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.