9 Investigates

Renewed push for reparations 100 years after the Ocoee Massacre

OCOEE, Fla. — There is a renewed push for reparations in Ocoee 100 years after the Ocoee Massacre.

On Wednesday, the mayor, city manager and commissioners finally signed a formal apology for the massacre.

READ: Why we produced the Ocoee Massacre story

But the descendants said that apology is only the beginning.

Now it’s time for reparations for what was taken.

They said their ancestors owned land in this community that they never got to pass down to their descendants.

>>> Click here to read Channel 9′s full, in-depth coverage a century after the Ocoee Massacre <<<

It’s believed at least 24 families owned land, according to the Orange County Regional History Center’s records, making up 42 properties and nearly 400 acres of land, worth more than $8 million today.

Deeds and letters of administration show how some property owner’s names may have been forged during sales.

Watch Channel 9′s full documentary on the massacre below for an in-depth look at the tragedy and its impact:

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.