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September 23, 2003
History We all Should Understand
If you are interested in New York City history, you should not miss this event. In fact, I am a firm believer that this is a topic that everyone should learn, understand, and respect.
In 1991, during the construction of the Foley Square federal building in downtown Manhattan, the bodies of more than 400 African slaves were discovered. The mass grave of these men, women, and children spanned five city blocks, from New York's City Hall to the United States Courthouse and State Supreme Court. This was one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century.
Before this discovery, researchers state, it was known that there was such a significant African presence in New York City. Dr. Michael Blakely, the scientific director of the federally funded project to study the site, likens it to the Jamestown or Plymouth Rock of NYC. He notes that the burial ground provides the earliest and largest Colonial population available for study. Forty percent of the original Dutch colony [of Manhattan] and up to twenty percent of the English colony were enslaved Africans.
A memorial has been in the works for nearly a decade, delayed by the difficult decisions about how best to re-inter and memorialize the Africans of early New York. Dr. Blakey's group hopes to "reconstruct family lineages and cultural heritages of the best preserved human remains from the African Burial Project,” using DNA studies from the remains. In addition a "comprehensive computer database will make vast quantities of information about the site available to scholars and the public.” The DNA, chemical and sociological research will assist African Americans in tracing heritages that were once hidden (Davy, Marianne. The African Burial Ground in New York City: Facing Our Past).
Finally, after over a decade the remains of these African slaves will be returned to their original resting place. The memorial will take place from September 30 through October 4, beginning with a tribute ceremony at Howard University. The memorial will then travel to Baltimore, MD, Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia, PA, and Newark, NJ, where a flotilla departure will take the procession to Manhattan and up the Canyon of Heroes (Broadway) to the Memorial site. On October 4, the Rites of Ancestral Return will commence, whereupon the remains and artifacts will be re-interred.
I’ve been following this since the site was uncovered in 1991, but even as I write this, twelve years later, my heart is beating fast and I feel myself rather breathless. This is such an important piece of American, New York City, and most of all, African American history that everyone should be informed about and taught to respect.
Especially students.
For a detailed history of this archaeological find, visit the African Burial Ground website. There is a wealth of information there, including a detailed schedule of Memorial events. Also check out this lesson plan site that includes some ideas for engaging students in this topic and additional web and paper resources, as well as this 1998 report from CNN.
It should also be noted that this is not the only historical burial site in New York City. The New York History site has some valuable lesson plans which can further student and adult learning on this topic.
Posted by callalillie at September 23, 2003 9:21 AM |
I really appreciated this entry--it definitely makes me miss NYC (not that what happened, happen, but that I'd miss such a historically important event).
This is going to sound really naive, but do you know that Ani DiFranco "song", that was really one of her spoken word poems set to music...from Little Plastic Castles (?), that starts off about this?
"They were digging a new foundation in Manhattan
And they discovered a slave cemetary there
Now their souls rest now that linching in frowned upon
And we've moved on to the electric chair..."
Here's the truly naive part: not that I thought these lines were fictitious (are any of them?), but it just didn't register that it was factual. Even though, I think, Greg told me so once when we were listening to it. Do you think it was my subconcious not wanting to think about it?
Posted by: Kar at September 23, 2003 9:51 AM
Probably not-- the finding of the grave site was well publicized, however Karen, you must remember that we were about 13 at the time and living in Wrong Island. It was probably hard for us to draw connections to it, if we had actually heard about. God forbid if some one had actually taught us it in school, anyway.
Posted by: callalillie at September 23, 2003 11:38 AM
