- February 3, 2025
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A historic black cemetery in Ormond Beach was vandalized over the weekend, as flags were removed from graves, broken and burned.
The incident at Oakridge Cemetery on Nova Road came to light after a woman, who has a relative buried at the site, arrived at the cemetery on Monday, July 29, to see the damage left behind by the vandals, according to a police report. In addition to the flags, the historic oak by the front of the cemetery was carved with names. The woman then contacted the director of the Oakridge Cemetery board, who notified Ormond Beach police. The woman had been at the cemetery on Saturday, July 27, and the cemetery had been intact then.
Rosa Morey, recording secretary of Oakridge Cemetery Inc., said the board wants help from the community to get people to recognize that this kind of vandalism is uncalled for.
“This is our sacred ground," Morey said. "Please do not throttle over it. Please don’t come in and destroy — just give a little respect to the dead.”
This is not the first time Oakridge has been vandalized. About 15 years ago, Morey said the cemetery was desecrated in an incident where graves were dug up, markers were broken and some switched. The board isn't sure the current grave markers are in the right spots today because of that.
Oakridge is the final resting place of many of the community members from the Liberia and Sudan communities in Ormond Beach, which originated from the slaves that settled in the city generations ago. It's where they continue to be buried, Morey said.
Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said in a statement that the Police Department is taking the incident seriously, and that it has increased patrols in the area. There are no known suspects at this time.
"It is an absolute shame that someone would disturb another person’s final resting place and cause distress to the families who have lost loved ones," Godfrey said.
Morey said it was "disheartening" to see what happened at the cemetery, especially as the Liberia and Sudanese communities work to rebuild themselves and raise awareness of their existence.
“We all come from a community," Morey said. "I don’t care if it’s all Anglo, all Hispanic, all black, all Haitians, we come from a community. It’s just in us.”
