TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Rose Cemetery in Tarpon Springs is more than 100 years old, and the community has shown up over the years to make sure the memories held there are not lost to time.
The cemetery is the largest undisturbed segregated cemetery in Pinellas County.
Leslie Quarterman King has deep personal ties to the cemetery. Her family is buried there, including her father, who dedicated much of his life to the site.
"When my dad was living, he put a lot of time, a lot of money — we teased about it. My mom used to laugh, she'd say, 'You get up and you go to that cemetery like you're going to a job,' and he would be here a lot of times all day. You know, we'd get concerned because it would be getting dark and it's like, 'Dad hasn't come home yet,'" Quarterman King said.
"My commitment to him was to continue to fight the fight and keep working with Rose Cemetery," Quarterman King said.
For years, Black people in Tarpon Springs were buried at Rose Cemetery in two different ways — with and without a headstone. Those without a headstone had a temporary marker, and over the course of time, dozens of those markers were lost.
"There were little markers that just had a name on them, and they didn't last. The weather would weather it off eventually — they wouldn't be there anymore. So that's another reason for some of the graves that are unmarked," said Brenda Dorsett and Katie Taylor of the Rose Cemetery Association.
Dorsett and Taylor are both with the Rose Cemetery Association, the group leading the charge on restoration, identification and overall care of the cemetery.
"We are still striving, we are still moving forward and trying to maintain the future of this cemetery. And Rose Cemetery may be in the shadows for some, but not for all. We know it's here and we know it's been here, and a lot of times our things are misinterpreted or left out," they said.
Their goal is simple: remember those who came before them and make sure those whom time may have forgotten get the recognition they deserve.
Those interested in getting involved with Rose Cemetery through volunteering or donating can find more information at https://blackcemeterynetwork.org/bcnsites/rose or reach out to Katie Taylor directly at 727-543-6870.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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