Congressman Bobby Rush has proposed federal legislation regulating all U.S. Cemeteries

El Dorado County, CA ~ A limited disclosed proposal to further desecrate of the legacy of California Black Pioneers buried within Mormon Island Cemetery Relocation Cemetery could be considered a modern criminal hate crime reflecting the values and beliefs past legal discrimination.

For over 50 years, grave markers representing the “unknown” remains of residents from the California Gold Rush community of Negro Hill, CA have reflected the legal institutional racism of this nation. Today, local transportation officials with jurisdiction seem to have learned nothing from history, state and federal intervention is necessary to prevent further damage.

In 1954, U.S. Government officials decided to rename Negro Hill, “Nigger Hill.” Today, a hidden process proposes to further desecrate and disrespect the historical legacy of the remains of early California Pioneers was an early Christmas gift by El Dorado County staff.

Several decades of past Sacramento regional elected officials have created the veil of silence and established the ongoing foul treatment to the legacy of California Black Pioneers along the American River Parkway, especially in Gold Mining District of California.

We invite U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush, Chair, of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection to visit the Mormon Island Relocation Cemetery site prior to the proposed action by local officials and host congressional hearings with the California Consumer Affairs office in California to share the need for Cemetery Reform.

The proposed "Bereaved Consumers Protection Act," would be a significant first step towards comprehensive and uniform regulation of cemeteries and funeral home practices in the country," according to a news release sent from Rush's Washington D.C. office.

H.R. 3655 will close the legislative gap in how cemeteries are regulated throughout the country and define what steps consumers can take to guarantee their rights are protected," said Rush, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, in a news release.

The act would spell out consumer rights involving contracts for goods and services, and would require cemeteries to keep specific and updated public records involving burials and services.
National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) support this uniform act protecting consumers, here is a partial quote from their position:

“We recognize that the most egregious scandals would not necessarily have been prevented by such a rule. However, with uniform federal practice and disclosure standards, the regulatory and compliance bar will be raised for both state regulators and for cemetery and crematory owners and operators, as well as other sellers of funeral or burial goods or services… NFDA stands ready to support any and all efforts to have H.R. 3655 signed into law.”

The law also would strengthen the Federal Trade Commission rules prohibiting unfair, deceptive acts or practices in the funeral operations industry, according to Rush.

For several years the Negro Hills Burial Ground Project has searched archives throughout the nation in search of the “Unknown Niggers” and connected with national experts whom have provided the sensitivity and professionalism to make positive change while sharing this story in the halls of the U.S. Congress and the California State Capitol.

California Regional Congressional Representatives have deferred to local jurisdiction and local jurisdiction have correctly pointed out that the egregious act was committed by the U.S. Government in 1954, thus the regional “good ole boys and girls network” pleads historical amnesia and seeks to simply to “move on” without consideration of the broader impact.

The proposed “desecration” of 36 grave markers within Mormon Island Relocation Cemetery and install and “unknown” history of the regional contributions of California Black Pioneers may be more heinous than the original act, given the shroud of secrecy and lack of public access to proposed site changes.

Incomplete hastily planned Black History Month 2010 events, scheduled for Valentine’s Day weekend, would forever change the site and would create additional barriers to identify and honor those reinterred from the historic Gold Rush communities surrounding Negro Hills, California.

Hopefully over the Holiday season a change of plans will allow proposed federal legislation to guide future plans that could regulate Mormon Island Relocation Cemetery, El Dorado County, California.