Simmering tensions boiled over at a St. Petersburg City Council meeting Thursday morning as members admonished a colleague for what they perceived as a public lie.
Gulfport’s Lincoln Cemetery, the primary burial ground[1] for St. Petersburg’s Black population during segregation, was at the center of the dispute. Council member Corey Givens Jr. requested a Committee discussion last week regarding the embattled graveyard’s future that ideally would have included officials from the neighboring city.
The new business item failed, as Council member Gina Driscoll previously requested a Committee meeting on the subject. Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders noted that she and Mayor Ken Welch have also discussed plans for the cemetery, including annexation, with Gulfport stakeholders.
Givens, in a subsequent social media post, wrote that “none of my fellow Council members thought this agenda item was worth supporting.” He called it a “sad day for Black history in St. Pete,” and Figgs-Sanders was the first to address what she called “intentionally incorrect” statements Thursday.
“As hard as I’ve worked in my community, as proud as I am of the Black history in the City of St. Petersburg, to intentionally be included in a lie will not work for me,” Figgs-Sanders said. “I’m going to call it out each and every time.”
She added that elected officials should hold themselves to a higher standard than constituents. “I’m for the people, not the posturing,” Figgs-Sanders said. “That’s not why I am here.”
Lincoln Cemetery opened in 1926 at 600 58th St. S. The interred include Civil War veterans and other local historical figures.
St. Petersburg relocated African American residents buried at Moffett Cemetery[2] to Lincoln when officials condemned and built over the site in the late 1920s. Stakeholders have only identified about half of the 8,000 graves[3] at the flood-prone Gulfport burial grounds.
Lincoln fell into disrepair over the years, and Cross and Anvil Human Services took control in 2023. Many descendants[4] of those buried at the cemetery want St. Petersburg to annex the land.
Givens said Thursday that he had spoken with Gulfport Mayor Karen Love and Rev. Clarence Williams, a pastor at St. Petersburg’s Greater Mount Zion AME Church, who also leads Cross and Anvil, that morning.
“I’m happy to report things are moving in the right direction there,” Givens said. “So, politics, although it can get petty, we are moving in the right direction.”
Council member Mike Harting credited Figgs-Sanders for her courage. He said officials should remain “above the fray” and operate with decorum.
Driscoll, sitting next to Givens, then offered decidedly more pointed remarks. She agreed that Council members “should be above certain things,” including “lies.”
“I said that if we could unofficially co-sponsor the item, I’m willing to do that,” Driscoll said. “Does that sound like someone who does not support this? Pathetic. It’s not a sad day for Black history in St. Pete.
“It’s a sad day for District 7 in St. Pete to be represented by someone who lies and makes things up to try and get attention.”
Driscoll said she is still waiting for a discussion with the mayoral administration regarding their efforts. She prefers a “united approach” to honoring the cemetery.
Givens subsequently apologized to residents for the “circus.” Council Chair Copley Gerdes called his comment inappropriate and demanded the floor when Givens interjected.
Givens walked off the dais as Gerdes wished his daughter a happy birthday.
No apologies
After the meeting, Givens said he would not apologize for the social media post “because it ignited a conversation in the community.” A cemetery cleanup event is Oct. 25, and he hopes “those Council members will show up, if they’re serious about helping,” without discussing the topic.
Givens believes criticizing a social media post in City Hall was counterproductive. However, he appreciated the timing, as he had just spoken with Love and Williams.
Givens said the Council’s discussion on the Lincoln and Greenwood Cemeteries has languished on a Committee docket for over a year and is set to take place in December. “If it takes me showing up nine months, 10 months in now to actually make some things happen, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
“We’re talking about the history of those cemeteries, but Lincoln – the future is in jeopardy,” Givens elaborated. “It’s unknown.”
He noted that Williams has reached out to officials from both cities for help maintaining Lincoln. Givens said St. Petersburg will not spend tax dollars on a cemetery in Gulfport. “The Mayor has made that clear.”
“People are observing how our elected officials are not really living up to what they portray to be,” Givens added. “I’m embarrassed for our city.”
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Mark Parker[5] reports via St. Pete Catalyst[6]. Republished with permission.
References
- ^ primary burial ground (blackcemeterynetwork.org)
- ^ buried at Moffett Cemetery (stpetecatalyst.com)
- ^ half of the 8,000 graves (baynews9.com)
- ^ descendants (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Mark Parker (stpetecatalyst.com)
- ^ St. Pete Catalyst (stpetecatalyst.com)