TAMPA, Fla. — Saturday evening, a vigil was held to honor the people buried at College Hill Cemetery in Tampa.

What You Need To Know

  • In 2022, the College Hill Cemetery was recognized with a historic marker by the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council

  • A vigil Saturday remembered the roughly 1,200 Black, Cuban, and other people buried in the unmarked grassy area

  • Attendees lit candles and said prayers for those buried

Aileen Henderson, the Founder of the Cemetery Society, said Saturday's ceremony remembered the roughly 1,200 Black, Cuban, and other people buried in an unmarked grassy area. 

"The dead deserve to be celebrated and I think that we should make the extra effort to do something nice," she said.  

In 2022, the site was recognized with a historic marker by the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council.

Since then, there have been requests to get a parking ban that would stop cars from parking in an area where it’s thought people are buried.

Henderson said many of the people buried are those who turned Tampa into the place it is today.

“You may have heard of Meachem Farms here in Tampa,” she said. “It’s named after Mr. Meachem. He was a state representative, so he was very well known.”

Starting with a prayer, Henderson and a few others spoke of the people they know about, plus the ones they didn’t.

From recognizable figures to children who spent a few years on Earth, each one is important to Henderson.

“We need to recognize those souls,” she said. “We need to say their name. And that’s why we’re going to write their name. Leave it here so they know that we care and they’re remembered.”