Ocoee approves 2022 Remembrance event

The Ocoee City Commission last week approved the Human Relations Diversity Board’s request to host the 2022 Ocoee Election Day Remembrance event.

This year’s event, which will remember the lives lost during the Nov. 2, 1920, Ocoee Massacre, will take place Nov. 5 and 6.

This year, the event will feature a golf tournament, an artifacts exhibits, a silent auction and mixer, a 5K run, Gospel recording artists, and more.

Although commissioners agreed an event is necessary, some questioned what atmosphere it should present.

“When I think of remembrance and remembering, I think of three Rs: I think of reverence, respect and remembrance,” Commissioner Rosemary Wilsen said. “These folks ran for their lives; some lost their lives. I think they should be honored — not with a festival that has face-painting, a golf tournament, food trucks. … To me, that doesn’t show our residents in Ocoee what we are doing to remember these folks (who) gave their lives. I don’t think a festival atmosphere is appropriate. … This is a time where we educate.”

However, HRDB spokesman  and subcommittee chair Jay Carr said descendants from the massacre victims liked the plans as presented.

“All of the descendants I spoke to about this are in support of (it),” Carr said. “In the African American community, we have different stages of grieving. … Most of our funerals are celebrations of life where it is more festive, so this is how the African American people bring honor to the dead. I know that’s hard to understand. … This weekend (will encompass) the solemn side and the celebratory side.” 

Commissioner George Oliver commented in relation to the cultural aspect of the event.

“We should allow folks to grieve in the manner that they grieve at,” he said. “We should allow cultures to grieve in the manner in which they were cultivated in their culture and not interject our opinions of other cultures. … We definitely have a somber moment when a person passes away. We feel that loss; we feel the pain of others. … When it comes to the descendants, I think you did the right thing by asking the descendants as opposed to trying to assume what you think they wanted.”

“Honestly, I don’t want to get into what people’s funerals are,” Mayor Rusty Johnson said. “Everybody in the world has a different (way) of paying respect to their people. … This is about the election, too. … It’s letting people know that you are allowed to vote, you should be able to vote and not be held up from voting, and I think that’s a big part of the education process.” 

Commissioner Larry Brinson said the event should be presented in accordance to the culture.

“No more than I should go and tell our Latin community how to put on a festival should anyone else who is not African American tell African Americans how to put on a festival; that is highly inappropriate,” he said. “It’s not my culture, it’s not something I should be weighting in on. … Personal opinions do not have a place here, because it is disrespectful. … What we should be saying is… ‘Can we fund this? Does it make financial and fiscal sense for the city of Ocoee to get behind this event?’”

Initially, the HRDB requested approval for a three-day event and $62,000 from the city. However, the commission ultimately approved a two-day event with a smaller budget.

The commission previously had allocated $10,000 for a sculpture called Celebrating Diversity, but that was never built. The commission approved allowing the HRDB to use $7,000 it currently has for the event, as well as reallocating $10,000 from the sculpture project, as long as the HRDB had no objection. The commission encouraged the board to raise more funds and request money from other sponsors, as well. 

TOURIST HOMES

The commission approved an amendment related to vacation rental units.

“For the past three years, I’ve had several comments from neighbors from different communities constantly calling about Airbnbs and the noise and the ruckus,” Oliver said.

The proposed amendments to Article II are as follows: clarify the existing definition of tourist home and create two new definitions — those of “transient guest” and “vacation and short-term rental.” In relation to the proposed amendments to Article V, these include: identification of a responsible party, clarification of existing parking requirements, and building and fire safety inspections. 

“It’s great that we can put some more control on it, because it’s horrible when you are living at your home, and right next door, there’s someone partying all night when you have to go to work (next day),” Oliver said. 

The city will not be responsible for safety liabilities regarding the rental unit; all responsibility will fall on the proprietor renting the unit.