DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: One Year Later: The Stories That Define People’s Memorial Legacy Park in Haltom City, Texas. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.
DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: One Year Later: The Stories That Define People’s Memorial Legacy Park in Haltom City, Texas. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.
Curator, Digging for Dignity Legacy Project
“Mother Frances Fretwell understood something profound: a people who preserve their history preserve their humanity.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilUnXZTwCww
— Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.
A year ago, I set out to find one hero.
Instead, I found thousands.
On July 28, 2025, my colleague, Ms. Christina Drummond, and I began searching for the gravesite of Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a member of the legendary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, better known as the Six Triple Eight (https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-forgotten-leaves-at-new-trinity.html).
The women of the Six Triple Eight were the only all-Black, all-female battalion deployed overseas during World War II. Decades after their service, they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their extraordinary contributions to our nation and their unwavering commitment to ensuring that millions of pieces of wartime mail reached American servicemen and their families.
We thought we were looking for a gravesite.
God had something much bigger in mind.
What began as a search for Florence Rawls became the rediscovery of People’s Memorial Legacy Park in Haltom City, Texas.
What began as a historical inquiry became a movement.
What began with one name became a mission.
And one year later, I believe we are witnessing one of the most meaningful historical reclamation projects in the history of Tarrant County.
As I reflect on this remarkable year, I am convinced that no two stories better capture the spirit of People’s Memorial Legacy Park than the stories of Rev. Greene Fretwell and Mother Frances Fretwell.
Together, they embody the values that continue to guide our work:
Faith. Family. Freedom. Fortitude. Dignity. Hope.
Those values are not simply words.
They are written into the very soil of this sacred ground.
The Man Who Swam Toward Freedom | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/07/swimming-from-slavery-to-sanctuary-to.html
Every great place has a defining story.
At People’s Memorial Legacy Park, one of those stories belongs to Rev. Greene Fretwell.
Born into slavery, Greene Fretwell refused to accept the limitations others placed upon his life.
According to family and historical accounts, he escaped bondage by swimming across the Ohio River in pursuit of freedom.
Imagine that moment.
A man born into slavery standing at the edge of a river.
Behind him was bondage.
Before him was uncertainty.
The water was dangerous.
The future was unknown.
Yet he stepped into the river anyway.
With every stroke, he moved farther away from oppression and closer to possibility.
That courageous journey has become the defining symbol of his life.
For that reason, I often describe his story as “Swimming From Slavery to the Sanctuary to the 21st Century.”
But the river was only the beginning.
Freedom opened the door to faith.
Faith opened the door to service.
Service opened the door to leadership.
Leadership opened the door to legacy.
Rev. Fretwell became a minister, husband, father, community builder, and spiritual leader whose influence continues to bless generations long after his passing.
His story reminds us that freedom is not merely the absence of chains.
Freedom is the opportunity to serve God, strengthen families, uplift communities, and create a better future for those who follow behind us.
Today, his life continues to inspire everyone who learns his story.
The Woman Who Made a Promise | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/07/special-edition-digging-for-dignity.html
If Rev. Greene Fretwell represents courage, then Mother Frances Fretwell represents vision.
History often remembers the people who gave speeches.
Sometimes it forgets the people who made promises and quietly kept them.
Mother Frances Fretwell made a promise that still echoes across generations.
Her words were simple:
“If they helped purchase the land, those families would always have a place to bury their loved ones.”
At first glance, those words may seem ordinary.
They are anything but ordinary.
Those words were about dignity.
They were about belonging.
They were about ensuring that Black families would always have a sacred place to honor their loved ones.
Mother Frances Fretwell understood something many people never learn:
A people who lose their history eventually lose part of themselves.
A people who preserve their history preserve their humanity.
Because of her foresight, sacrifice, and determination, generations of families found a resting place for their loved ones and a connection to their heritage.
More than a century later, her promise is still being fulfilled.
Every grave identified.
Every ancestor remembered.
Every family reconnected.
Every story restored.
Each one is evidence that Mother Frances Fretwell kept her word.
Florence Rawls Opened the Door. | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/07/hope-in-envelope-2-corinthians-32.html
When Christina Drummond and I began searching for Florence Marie Rawls, we thought we were looking for one hero.
Instead, we found thousands.
Florence Rawls opened a door that had been closed for far too long.
Behind that door were veterans.
Teachers.
Farmers.
Entrepreneurs.
Mothers.
Fathers.
Ministers.
Community builders.
Men and women whose lives helped shape North Texas.
Over the past year, we have written articles, hosted remembrance events, organized historical tours, and shared stories that might otherwise have been forgotten.
Most importantly, we have helped reconnect families with loved ones they believed were lost forever.
One of the most moving moments involved a 92-year-old member of our church.
Through the work of Digging for Dignity, we located her grandmother, born in 1880, along with her father, uncles, and aunt resting together in the same burial area.
The tears that followed were not tears of sorrow.
They were tears of reunion.
Tears of remembrance.
Tears of healing.
Those moments remind us why this work matters.
History is not simply about the dead.
History is about the living.
History is about identity.
History is about family.
History is about knowing where we came from so we can better understand where we are going.
A Community Comes Together | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-digging-for-dignity-juneteenth-find.html
No one accomplishes work like this alone.
Over the past year, volunteers, historians, churches, veterans, public officials, community organizations, and ordinary citizens have united around a common purpose.
The City of Haltom City has been a tremendous partner throughout this journey. From city leadership to Parks and Recreation staff, Haltom City has demonstrated a genuine commitment to preserving local history and honoring those buried within People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
Tarrant County has also provided significant support.
Sheriff Bill Waybourn and his team have stood with us.
Families have shared records, photographs, stories, and memories.
Together, we have demonstrated what can happen when people choose restoration over division and remembrance over neglect.
What is taking place at People’s Memorial Legacy Park is more than cemetery restoration.
It is historical reclamation.
It is cultural preservation.
It is family reunification across generations.
It is community healing.
It is dignity in action.
Why July 28th Matters | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/06/hunting-for-heroes-historical-treasure.html
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the rediscovery of Florence Marie Rawls, it is fitting that this anniversary falls on National Buffalo Soldiers Day.
July 28th commemorates the creation of the Buffalo Soldier regiments by Congress in 1866 and honors the brave African American soldiers who served our nation with distinction despite discrimination and adversity.
Their courage helped shape America.
Their sacrifice helped strengthen America.
Their service deserves to be remembered.
For those of us involved in Digging for Dignity, July 28th now carries an additional meaning.
It was on July 28, 2025, that our search for Florence Rawls led to the rediscovery of People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
For that reason, July 28th has become a National Day of Remembrance at People’s Memorial Legacy Park in Haltom City, Texas.
On this sacred day, we remember the Buffalo Soldiers.
We remember the veterans.
We remember the pioneers.
We remember the mothers and fathers.
We remember the ministers and educators.
We remember Florence Marie Rawls.
We remember Rev. Greene Fretwell.
We remember Mother Frances Fretwell.
And we remember the more than 7,700 souls whose stories rest beneath this sacred ground.
July 28th is now more than a date.
It is a bridge between past and present.
A day when forgotten names are spoken aloud.
A day when families reconnect with loved ones they thought were lost forever.
A day when history speaks.
A day when dignity is restored.
The Work Continues | https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/06/fort-worth-pastor-receives-justserve.html
One year later, the discoveries continue.
The restoration continues.
The healing continues.
The reunions continue.
And the promise continues.
Florence Rawls opened the door.
Rev. Greene Fretwell showed us the courage to cross the river.
Mother Frances Fretwell showed us the wisdom to preserve the land.
Together, their stories define the spirit of People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
Together, they remind us that faith can outlast hardship, family can transcend generations, and dignity can survive even when history attempts to forget.
At People’s Memorial Legacy Park, we are proving every day that history is never truly lost when people are willing to search for it, protect it, and share it.
And every July 28th, on National Buffalo Soldiers Day, we will gather to remember, restore, reconnect, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that these stories live on for generations yet to come.
Because some promises are too important to break.
Some stories are too important to lose.
And some names are too important to forget.
They were buried in silence. We will raise their names in resilience.
About the Author
Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, Chaplain of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association, and Curator of the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project.
For information regarding People’s Memorial Legacy Park, historical research, cemetery restoration efforts, family genealogy assistance, speaking engagements, or community partnerships:
Media coverage since July 28, 2025:
1. NBC: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tarrant-county-sheriffs-cemetery-cleanup-project/3931033/?amp=1
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