On Monday, March 7, the Florida Department of State acknowledged that human remains discovered last year were probably a part of an old, historic African-American cemetery. The remains were discovered under a community facility in Pensacola.
In June 2021, local Boy Scouts had been performing an Eagle Scout cleanup project. They then found the bones in a crawl space beneath a building in the East Hill community.
After that, many have questioned the past history of the location. City leaders relayed to the state that they think the site is an old burial ground. Now, state leaders are in agreeance.
Even though the exact location of the cemetery is unknown, placing a historic marker close to the location is being considered.
Researchers at the University of West Florida are still analyzing the site. Once a report is prepared, it will be provided to the state and next steps will be recommended.
