Change found its way to a cemetery last week in Oberlin, but it came at a cost to a local family which was in the process of trying to bury a loved one.
Karla, the wife of Darrell Semien, said her focus was on her children and planning their father’s funeral when they were turned down from purchasing a plot in the Oaklin Springs Cemetery because her husband was black. Her husband, Darrell Semien, had come home last week after being told there was nothing left to do to fight his cancer. The couple had been married for 20 years and have a blended family of seven children ranging form 11 years to 38 years old. Darrell had been a police officer in Reeves and Oberlin and a deputy for the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“My focus was on my kids and planning their father’s funeral,” Karla said. “We had a hard time doing that and then we had to put our focus on that because of stupidity.”
Karla said Darrell’s family had plots in the Beaver Cemetery, but it would be far for her and the kids to visit. The couple didn’t want to bury him across from the school where the younger children went, so they thought Oaklin Springs would be the perfect location – close to home and close to the sheriff’s department. He really liked his job in law enforcement and was always willing to help others, she explained.
“Oaklin is pretty out there; peaceful,” she said. “I just assumed we could bury him there.”
Karla said they made an appointment on Tuesday, January 26, for 3 p.m. at the cemetery. They arrived, and she said only one child got out of the car at first because he wanted to be the first to mark his father’s plot. They told her they were sorry for her loss, and then the rest of the children got out of the car.
“They told me we’re going to have a discrepancy. I’m not able to sell you a plot. This is a white’s only cemetery.”
She said the line above the part of the contract where you sign stated, “white humans only.”
“I said ‘oh my God, I didn’t think that existed anymore.’ It was a punch in the gut – so disrespectful to him as a human being, as a man who put his life on the line to protect any race. I got so mad, and they asked if we had a back up plan. I had no back up plan.”
She said her 17-year-old son got very angry, and the girls started crying and saying, ‘we can’t bury my dad cause he’s black.’
Karla said she rounded up the family and headed home and started calling cemeteries. She said they had to ask if black people were allowed.
She posted her frustration on Facebook™ for support from her friends. She said she’s not really a big social person, but her story soon became known to everyone.
“I had no idea it was going to be this big. I’m glad it’s reaching everyone. I’m glad it’s bringing awareness of what it means to not be white.”
The one good thing is that the family’s support system has been great. She cannot say how awesome it has been to be supported by the people of Oberlin. “It’s prenominal.”
That night, Creig Vizena, president of the Oaklin Springs Baptist Cemetery Board (not associated with the church with the same name in Oberlin), came to visit Karla. She said she has no doubt he is a good man. He offered her one of his plots in the cemetery for Darrell, but she said, if it wasn’t good enough for Darrell on Tuesday, how could it be good now? “Would they let my black children go there, rest there….?” she asked. She just couldn’t let him go there when he had been denied previously.
Vizena, upon hearing the situation, called an emergency meeting on Thursday, January 28, to change the wording. (See sidebar story)
“I don’t want this to be a racial war,” she said. “It’s not from politicians. It’s not the way Oberlin is. These people have been amazing to us.”
Karla is hoping other organizations with bylaws, contracts, etc. will review these items. “It was okay when they said it was their by-laws. I could stomach it, but it’s in the contract. It could have been changed that day. They were still enforcing that contract.
She said Darrell always instilled in the kids to be proud of who they are; to always stand their ground and that they could be anything they want.
“This is Darrell’s legacy. I believe that if this had happened to another person, he would have been by their side to make sure it changed. We were foster parents for 72 children. We never asked what race they were. I can’t let this rest for him. I have to make an awareness of our story.”
And why is it important? She said this will be with her children for the rest of their life. The cemetery people did apologize and offer a plot, but she said all her children will remember is that they couldn’t bury their father there because he was black.
“It’s hard enough to grasp he’s gone. I always thought our forever would last longer. It didn’t. It’s hard enough to bury him; to pick out a plot…why didn’t she call me to the side,” Karla said.
“I know he would want us to do something he would be proud of. Hopefully this will bring change.”
At a time like this she said God is good. “He’s been here with us. He will see us through it.”
Editor’s Note: Funeral services for Darrell “Soul” Robert Semien, 55, were held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 30, 2021, at Oberlin Baptist Church with burial in the Sonnier Cemetery in Oberlin.
Cemetery leaders change the wording
Creig Vizena is president of the Oaklin Springs Cemetery, and as soon as he saw the problem in the wording of the cemetery’s contract, he called an emergency meeting of the board.
Vizena said the contract said “for the burial of white human beings only.” It is now amended to state “for the burial of human beings only.” The word “white” has been removed.
Since the story broke of a black man being denied burial in the cemetery, Vizena said he has spoken to the New York Times, Washington Post – lots of national and local news agencies.
“This was a tragic oversight of what was in the contract,” he said. “We have amended that. Please tell the public to check their records, and to fix it. It’s senseless in 2021. Racial injustice – there is no room in today’s society.”
Vizena said Oaklin Springs Cemetery Association owns the Oaklin Springs Cemetery. The board consists of about seven people who make sure it is maintained.
Since this occurred, Vizena said he has been educated about the plots. He said people purchase a plot and can record it in the courthouse so that it will become a part of their estate. It can be transferred, etc. It’s property.
He said he met with the Semien family Tuesday evening at their kitchen table. He explained how sorry he was that this had happened, and how he was thankful for Darrell Semien’s service to the people. At that time, the contract had not been changed, so he offered the family a plot he owned but he understood when Karla Semien said no.
“She told me he’d never be able to rest there. This is tragic from every angle you look at it.”
Vizena said he could change the wording for the future, and he called an emergency board meeting to make the changes effective immediately. “We have fixed it,” he said referring to the association’s recent meeting and changes made to the contract.
He also has heard the ACLU of Louisiana is sending him a letter. He is waiting for it to share with them the changes that have been made.
“I can only change what I know. I can only control how I react and what I do about it.”
Going forward, it will not happen again.
Editor’s Note: The ACLU of Louisiana has posted a public letter and sent a registered letter to H. Creig Vizena, according to an email from Bruce Hamilton, senior staff attorney. The letter states it writes to condemn the cemetery and understands the person selling the plots has been relieved of her duties.
It also states, “Aside from your attempts to remediate the obvious damage caused by the cemetery’s rejection, we urge you to immediately revise the governing body’s bylaws to eradicate any “whites only” provision, language or references.
Vizena said he will be sending them certified copies of the old wording and revised wording to show it had been changed immediately along with notarized minutes of the meeting. He also is working on sharing the changes with the Secretary of State’s office.