Historic Black cemetery vandalized in Baton Rouge
27th January 2020 · 0 Comments
Remains exposed at Hard Rock collapse site
Staff Report — There’s a shared outcry in Baton Rouge and New Orleans that was heard loud and clear last week: residents expect more when it comes to respecting the remains of the deceased.
In Baton Rouge, signage and a bricked wall barrier at the historic Sweet Olive Cemetery were vandalized with graffiti. According to cemetery documents, Sweet Olive “officially” dates to 1898, is a nationally recognized site, and was the first cemetery established in Baton Rouge for Blacks and the formerly enslaved.
W.T. Winfield, president of Sweet Olive’s board of directors, said the cemetery also houses the remains of veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam as well as numerous family plots and “potter graves” for the unknown.
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Councilmember Tara Wicker (District 10) said, “The impact (of the vandalism) was just shock and total, complete disappointment that someone would be that uncaring or that unaware of the significant history of the Sweet Olive Cemetery to our community and to our people.”
Wicker said there was a time in history where Sweet Olive was the only place where African Americans could be buried in Baton Rouge.
“We’re just hopeful that with all the awareness and all the attention that two things will happen. Number one, people will recognize that this is a place that should not be degraded. We should keep it as a place of honor. But, also, people are made aware that we need additional resources and individuals to come in and for all of us in the community to come in and take care of this treasured place, this sacred place.”
Winfield said the minor damage “was atrocious so far as the impact.” However, it wasn’t the first violation at the cemetery. In prior incidents: the cemetery’s iron gates were stolen and sold as antiques; fraternities broke open vaults to steal bones as a part of rituals; and Caleb Ashely Davis was arrested last year for stealing bones from vaults and selling them online, according to Winfield.
Regarding the most recent incident, Baton Rouge residents began taking matters into their own hands to clean up Sweet Olive, which is run by a nonprofit corporation and relies on volunteers for upkeep. Contractor Treuil Montague volunteered to remove the graffiti using a non-evasive cleaning system. Other residents created a GoFundMe account to raise money for clean-up efforts.
At the governmental level, Wicker said research is being conducted to see if crime cameras can be installed near the cemetery.
Corpse Uncovered at Hard Rock Site
In New Orleans last week, emotions stirred when winds blew off a tarp at the collapsed construction site of the Hard Rock Hotel and exposed a portion of one of the two bodies that remain inside the structure.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell took to social media to address the situation and urged the public “not to share photos and “misinformation.” Cantrell’s post noted that she and the public safety team have been in contact with the victims’ families and maintained that the victims are “not able to be reached by rescue personnel.” Cantrell also noted that the building’s condition has deteriorated, and a controlled demolition is scheduled for March.
Meanwhile, the city has worked with Mardi Gras krewes to redirect parade routes to avoid the restrictions made by the Hard Rock collapse. And, members of the New Orleans City Council are calling for hearings, investigations and/or justice as it relates to the Hard Rock incident.
Both Council President Helena Moreno and Council Vice President Jason Williams issued statements regarding the Hard Rock collapse.
According to Moreno, justice is needed for the families of the victims and more safeguards are needed to prevent future tragedies.
Williams proposed “the creation of a temporary special committee of the Council’s Criminal Justice Committee to thoroughly investigate and begin gathering information,” as the city awaits findings from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The names of the deceased whose bodies have not been recovered from the site are Jose Ponce Arreola and Quinnyon Wimberly.
This article originally published in the January 27, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
