Running Head: African Burial Ground 1

African Burial Ground

Sephora Impert
Molloy College
African Burial Ground
The African Burial Ground National Monument commenced in 11! It i" the fir"t
nation#ide monument de$oted to African" of primiti$e Ne# %or& a" #ell a" American" of
African de"cent! It i" located on the fir"t floor of the Ted 'ei"" (ederal Building on )*
Broad#ay in Manhattan Ne# %or&+ ,et#een -uane and Reade Street"! Thi" "ite contain"
hundred" of African American "la$e remain" from the 1.
th
and 1/
th
centurie" that #ere ,uried on
0!0 acre" of land under a"phalt+ dirt+ and grime+ and pu"hed deep do#n into the earth and
forgotten 12""ential Ne# %or&+ )*134! Thi" area #a" called the 5Negroe" Burial Ground6 #here
,lac& "la$e" ,uried their lo$ed one" around the ,oundarie" of Ne# Am"terdam+ #hich i" no#
7o#er Manhattan! The initial pro8ect #a" to prepare con"truction for a ne# federal office
,uilding named the Ted 'ei"" Building! Ho#e$er+ during con"truction of thi" de$elopment+
"&eletal remain" of more than 3** men+ #omen+ and children #ere di"co$ered ,uried )3 feet
,elo# ground! Thi" finding "hoc&ed the con"truction #or&er" and de$eloper"9 it ,rought much
"peculation and intere"t among Ne# %or&er"! Scienti"t" from Ho#ard :ni$er"ity6" Montague
Co,, Biological Anthropology 7a,oratory conducted a "tudy to e;ca$ate the "&eletal remain" in
order to e;amine the ,one" and in$e"tigate the la,or and later death that the"e people under#ent!
Thi" "tudy #a" termed one of the mo"t remar&a,le archaeological ur,an pro8ect" in the :nited
State"! It #a" e"timated that there #ere o$er )*+*** ,odie" ,uried in Ne# %or& City that "till lie
around the city today 1N% Time"+ )*1*4!
There #a" much contro$er"y upon the di"co$ery of the African Burial Ground a" to #hat
to do #ith the remain"! <fficial" ,attled #ith the deci"ion to di"card the remain"+ glorify them+ or
to ,ring their "torie" to life for the #orld to "ee9 the re"ult #a" left to #hiche$er 8u"tification held
the mo"t po#er and recognition! =The cultural re"ource" and potential heritage $alue of the
African Burial Ground #ere 5protected6 under "ection 1*0 and 11* of the 100 National Hi"toric
)
African Burial Ground
>re"er$ation Act! Thi" legal protection could ,e con"idered ade?uate only ,ecau"e the la# for
participatory democracy to fill the gap" left ,y it" $ague language!@1Bla&ey+ p!01+ )*1*4! The
pu,lic ,ecame increa"ingly concerned #ith the outcome of the "ituation at hand e"pecially tho"e
of African de"cent! The GSA 1:S General Ser$ice" Admini"tration4 #a" mandated to do
e$erything #ithin their capa,ilitie" to comply #ith the 8oined deci"ion" of the di"tre""ed pu,lic!
Sadly+ un,e&no#n"t to the pu,lic+ the GSA6" plan #a" to continue #ith the con"truction of the
Ted 'ei"" Building #hile e;ca$ating and di"carding any "&eletal remain" in the proce""! :pon
ne#" of thi" "trategy+ angry citiAen" conducted countle"" prote"t"+ rallie"+ and marche" to en"ure
that the remain" #ere not di"carded+ ho#e$er honored and re"pected 1Bla&ey+ )*1*4!
-e"cendant" and concerned citiAen" felt di"re"pected and mortified! The pu,lic let their $oice" ,e
heard at many meeting" #ith the GSA e;pre""ing their outrage of the deci"ion to proceed in
#rongfully e;ca$ating human remain" #ithout an accepta,le re"earch plan and ignoring the
citiAen"6 plea"! (ortunately+ the GSA lo"t again"t the pu,lic ,ecau"e of their unla#ful $iolation"
o$er"een ,y "e$eral appro$ed agencie" including+ the >re"ident6" Ad$i"ory Council for Hi"toric
>re"er$ation and the Ne# %or& 7andmar&6" >re"er$ation Commi""ion #hich compri"e" of the
State Hi"toric >re"er$ation <ffice and the State Archaeologi"t! The"e organiAation" "upported the
pu,lic therefore remo$ing the GSA from command of the African Burial Ground!
At the time Ne# %or& City had an African American mayor and an African American
congre""man #ho had "uper$i"ion o$er the GSA ,udget! =It #a" re?uired that the GSA
immediately create a t#oByear (ederal Ad$i"ory 15Steering64 Committee that #ould recommend
an end to e;ca$ation+ a re$ie# of archaeological propo"al"+ and the creation of memorialiAation
and interpreti$e program" for the "ite! The GSA could ,uild on half of the "ite from #hich ,urial"
had already ,een remo$ed!@ 1Bla&ey+ p! 0)+ )*1*4! The GSA no longer had any political hold"
C
African Burial Ground
to#ard" the pu,lic regarding thi" matter and they had to follo# the Steering Committee6" order"
of a proper memorial for thi" di"co$ery a" oppo"ed to depo"iting a pla?ue on the ,uilding a" they
originally planned to do! -ue to the committee6" commitment and acti$i"m+ The African Burial
Ground recei$ed de"ignation a" a National Hi"toric 7andmar& in 1C follo#ing the title of a
National Monument in )**0 operated ,y the National >ar& Science! Thi" C**ByearBold
unfore"een ,urial ground recei$ed the recognition and prai"e that i" de"er$ed and further
achie$ed ac&no#ledgement from the 'hite Hou"e #ith a >re"er$e America >re"idential A#ard
in )**/! The"e pre"tigiou" a#ard" grant high e"teem to commenda,le #or& in the pre"er$ation of
cultural and national heritage a""et" including "cientific re"earch+ e;ca$ation of human remain"+
art+ memorial and $i"itation ,y the pu,lic 1Ne# %or& Time"+ )*1*4!
The African Burial Monument Memorial #elcome" $i"itor" to a "acred place! A" one
#al&" into the door you are en$eloped #ith an inten"e ,eauty and mournful me""age! All of the
chao" and energy from the outdoor" come to a halt and the $i,e #ithin the "pace ,ring" a le$el of
tran?uility and re"pect from the $i"itor! Di"itor" are capti$ated ,y the $ariou" "culpture"+ icon"+
and profound me""age" "urrounding them! There i" a great appreciation and tri,ute gi$en to the
hundred" of ,odie" pre"ented in the ,urial ground! African American" throughout the nation+
e"pecially in Ne# %or& relate to thi" memorial and the contri,ution that their ance"tor" played in
Ne# %or& City6" hi"tory 1>urnell+ )*1*4!
A" a young girl+ I remem,er my grandparent" telling me the "torie" of the African Burial
Ground! I #itne""ed ho# pa""ionate they felt a,out the matter and they made it a re"pon"i,ility
to ma&e "ure that my"elf and my "i,ling" heard the "tory! A" an adole"cent+ I did not fully
under"tand the importance of thi" piece of hi"tory! No# a" an adult+ I am fortunate to identify
#ith thi" monument and the "tory ,ehind it! I #a" $ery happy to ha$e $i"ited the monument and
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African Burial Ground
"ee e$erything fir"t hand! It #a" a memora,le e;perience and definitely impacted my Ne# %or&
City e;perience ten fold e"pecially "ince ha$ing pre$iou" &no#ledge of thi" e$ent gro#ing up! I
recommend to e$eryone to $i"it thi" hi"torical "ite+ I plan on returning to the ,urial ground for a
more timely $i"it and deeper under"tanding of the different piece" portrayed in"ide! It i" "afe to
"ay that the African "truggle and long dreadful hi"tory i" al"o a part of American hi"tory+ mo"t
importantly a part of Ne# %or& hi"tory!

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African Burial Ground
Reference"
Bla&ey+ M! 7! African Burial Ground >ro8ect: paradigm for cooperationF Museum International+
6211G)4+ 01B0/! 1)*1*4!
>urnell+ B! The African Burial Ground National Monument! Journal Of American History+ 971C4+
.C0B.3*! 1)*1*4!
Roth"tein+ 2! A Burial Ground and it" -ead are Gi$en 7ife! Art & Design! Ne# %or& Time"!
1)*1*4!
Ru""o+ M!S H Cullinan+ M! 2""ential Ne# %or&! Ars Omnia Press. 1)*134!
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