Florida’s capital city approves plan to sell golf course built on slaves’ graves, despite outcry

Florida City Sells Golf Course Built Atop Slave Graves to Former Whites-Only Club

In a controversial decision that has reopened wounds from Tallahassee’s segregated past, the city commission voted 3-2 to sell a public golf course built atop unmarked graves of enslaved people to a once-segregated country club.

The Capital City Country Club will purchase the 178-acre property for $1.255 million, despite vocal opposition from residents, historians, and activists concerned about the site’s historical significance and the symbolism of transferring public land to a formerly whites-only institution.

In 2019, National Park Service archaeologists identified what they believe to be 23 unmarked graves and 14 possible graves near the 7th hole of the golf course. The burial grounds are remnants of a plantation that once grew cotton on the land that now hosts one of Tallahassee’s most prestigious golf courses, located less than a mile from Florida’s Capitol building.

Local activists have criticized city officials for the four-year delay in creating a memorial to honor those buried there. Only recently has the city installed a historical marker and cleared paths near the burial grounds, while golfing activities continue uninterrupted nearby.

“Like so many other Black people in United States, I’m a descendant of slaves. I don’t have the ability to visit the graves of my ancestors. I don’t have the luxury to even know most of their names. I don’t know their history. And that’s why I’m so strong in opposing the sale,” said Justin Jordan, a student at Florida A&M University, the public historically Black university in Tallahassee.

The sale agreement stipulates that the property must remain an 18-hole golf course and cannot be developed. About $98,000 from the sale will fund construction of a commemorative site for the burial grounds, with public access guaranteed under the condition that visitors don’t “interfere with any active golf game.”

The country club has also committed to hosting Florida A&M University’s golf team for practices and competitions, an arrangement endorsed by the school’s board of trustees.

The deal has faced scrutiny not only for the historical implications but also for the political connections involved. According to a 2023 tax filing, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was listed as the country club’s vice president, though his current relationship with the club remains unclear after his office did not respond to inquiries.

Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who voted against the sale, expressed concern about the potential for the course to become “a Mar-a-Lago 2 in Leon County,” referencing the club’s connections to political power players.

Critics have also questioned the $1.255 million price tag for such prime real estate, suggesting the land could be worth significantly more given its development potential, despite the agreement’s restrictions on future use.

The land has a complicated ownership history, alternating between public and private control. For nearly 70 years, the club has paid the city just $1 annually in rent under a lease established in 1956. That arrangement allowed the club to revert to private ownership and sidestep a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned segregation in public recreational facilities.

Among the club’s former members was a judge whose Supreme Court nomination failed after questions arose about whether he helped privatize the club to avoid integration.

Despite these concerns, the deal ultimately won support from three commissioners, including the board’s two Black members. Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox framed the decision as part of moving beyond the city’s troubled past.

“When we talk about considering the racist, segregationist history of this country club, OK,” she said. “Get in line with all the other things that we’ve had to overcome to be able to move forward.”

The Tallahassee case highlights a national issue where thousands of unmarked cemeteries of enslaved people risk being lost to development and neglect, as descendants and volunteers work to preserve these sacred sites and the history they represent.