PALMETTO, Florida - May 14
Authorities in Manatee County are investigating damage at a historic cemetery that serves the predominantly African American Memphis neighborhood of Palmetto. Detectives said 17 gravesites at Old Memphis Cemetery were vandalized within the past few weeks, with headstones toppled and red spray paint applied to tombs spelling out the names "Trump" and "DeSantis," references to two U.S. politicians.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Tuesday that the incident is under investigation. Officials reported that no arrests have been made and that detectives continue to work to determine the circumstances surrounding the damage.
Local residents reacted with dismay. Glenn Searls, 77, who has family members buried at Old Memphis Cemetery, said on Wednesday that he felt "extreme anger" upon seeing the vandalism. Searls described seeing the spray-painted names on a vault and said it raised questions for him about whether the act was politically motivated - a suspicion he said he tends to believe.
"When you look and you see 'DeSantis' and 'Trump' spray-painted on a vault, it makes you wonder if it’s politically motivated, and I tend to believe it is," Searls said.
Another family member, Edrena Love Freeman, visited the cemetery on Wednesday and found her father’s gravestone had been moved. Standing at his grave, she said, "I just thought it was evil, it’s just not right." Her father was a World War Two veteran who died in 1970.
Old Memphis Cemetery was established in 1904 to serve Black residents of the Memphis neighborhood in Palmetto. The targeted vandalism and the appearance of political names on monuments have stirred concern in the community over motive and timing.
The incident occurred amid what the article describes as a polarized political climate ahead of the November midterm elections. The piece notes that U.S. President Donald Trump has a history of sharing racist rhetoric and that his administration dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion policies. It also states that race has emerged as an issue as Republican-led southern states undertake redistricting efforts that are likely to reduce the number of seats held by Black Democrats.
The office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and Trump’s White House press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Authorities continue their inquiry into the vandalism at Old Memphis Cemetery, and local residents remain troubled by the damage to graves that hold family members and community history.