121 unmarked graves in a former Black cemetery found at US Air Force base in Florida, officials say

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Military officials say as many as 121 unmarked graves in a former Black cemetery have been discovered at a U.S. Air Force base in Florida. MacDill Air Force Base officials said Thursday that a non-intrusive archaeological survey performed over the past two years identified 58 probable graves and 63 possible graves. The Tampa Bay History Center notified MacDill officials about the possible Black cemetery in 2019. The base hosted a memorial service in 2021 and dedicated a memorial on-site to those buried there. Officials say they plan to expand the search area this year and will continue to work with the community to determine how to best document the site and to pay respect to the people buried there.