TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — In the heart of Tallahassee’s Midtown, a quiet plot of land is speaking volumes this Juneteenth—as neighbors and historians gather to honor the forgotten lives laid to rest in one of the city’s oldest African American cemeteries.
- Community members gather to celebrate Juneteenth and honor those buried at Betton Cemetery.
- Historians highlight the importance of preserving Black burial sites across Leon County.
- Watch the video to hear leaders reflect on how the Juneteenth ceremony blends remembrance, reflection, and a call for historical restoration.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On this Juneteenth, a historic Tallahassee cemetery is taking center stage—as local historians, educators, and neighborhood leaders come together to honor the names… and lives… long left in shadow.
“By coming here and maintaining this spot, we are able to reflect on the people who came before us,” historian Althemese Barnes said.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your neighborhood reporter in Midtown, where Betton Hills neighbors celebrate Juneteenth by honoring a cemetery with deep roots.
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865—the day news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the proclamation was signed.
But the struggle for recognition didn’t end there. For decades, many African American burial sites in Florida sat unmarked, undocumented… and unacknowledged.
This Juneteenth, members of the Betton Hills Neighborhood Association gathered with historians and supporters to hold a memorial ceremony at Betton Cemetery—the final resting place for newly freed African Americans, many likely buried without tombstones or official records.
“I think this is a great occasion, a great time to meet here to reflect not only on Juneteenth but May 20, when enslaved Blacks in Florida were set free,” Rivers said.
Dr. Larry Rivers—a renowned author and former president of Fort Valley State—joined community members in sharing remarks.
Longtime historian and cultural preservationist Althemese Barnes also spoke—calling the ceremony a step toward reckoning with the past.
“To forget the past denies future generation and present generations their heritage and a foundation for hope. And how can a person be intelligent if you don’t know history,” Barnes said.
As communities across the Big Bend celebrate Juneteenth with parades, music, and community festivals, neighbors here say there’s room for something else, too: silence, reflection and restoration.
Betton Cemetery is one of several historic Black burial sites across Leon County currently being researched and preserved.
In Midtown, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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