african burial ground

when i was in nyc i spent a couple of hours at the site of the african burial ground in manhattan. here is a quote from a press release late 2005:

Speaking to the crowd, GSA Administrator Stephen A. Perry commented: “Today we
mark the ground where the African Burial Ground memorial will be built, and where it will
stand forever as a monument to the 17th and 18th century enslaved Africans who rest
here. The memorial will educate visitors about the harsh living conditions under which
they toiled, the customs they added to our culture, and the many contributions they
made to colonial America.“ Perry, along with Donald W. Murphy, Deputy Director of the
National Parks Service, also introduced and recognized the memorial design advisors
who attended the ceremony.

Perry also announced that the Secretary of the Interior was in the process of reviewing
the site regarding potentially recommending to the President of the United States that it
be declared a National Monument.

The formal rite and blessing followed the announcement by Murphy of the NPS’ release
of its draft recommendations for management of the site. “The National Park Service
has been privileged to assist with the memorialization and planning for the future of the
African Burial Ground” said Murphy. “In working with the descendant African community
and others, the National Park Service has prepared Draft Recommendations for the
African Burial Ground. We look forward to receiving public comment on the draft
recommendations for this National Historic Landmark.” The report is available online at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov or at www.africanburialground.gov.


i found it incredibly moving to visit. at the moment work is being done and there will be a visitors centre with a memorial monument. it is still worth a visit though, even though it is work in progress. i spoke to one of the workers who was very helpful and informative. she herself was african american and turned out she was a buddhist! i sat and meditated for a while there after i had watched the little film they show which tells the story of the site. basically when the fed govt bought the land and started building they discovered the bones of thousands of slaves who had been buried in mass burial sites. work was halted (reluctantly, it all costs money after all!) and eventually some of the ground given over to this memorial site. bones were disinterred and reinterred ina ceremony in october 2003. i found it amazing to sit and meditate thinking i was sitting over the bones of so many people.

The African Burial Ground Interpretive Center will be located in the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway. It is expected to open in 2008.

if you click on the header for this entry (i.e. african burial ground) it takes you to the web page but it hasn't been updated for a while.