Returning to the past; Looking to the future

“Long forgotten by most of the world, the African Burial Ground came to light in 1991. During the early construction phase of a federal office building at 290 Broadway, workers found human burials. Over the next two years, about an acre of the original 6.6-acre cemetery was excavated and 419 skeletal remains were discovered.”

Park Ranger at the African American Burial Ground

So begins a brochure handed to me by a friendly U.S. Park Ranger as my friend, Luke, and I walked along Duane Street in lower Manhattan one hot and humid Sunday afternoon. The Ranger in question waved towards a collection of stone structures to our right and asked, “Did you once know that over 15,000 African slaves were buried here and in the surrounding area?” We did not. “Did you know that there was once a large hill between here and the East River, over 110 feet high, and that dirt from the hill was excavated and dumped on top of the slave cemetery, burying the graves under 30 feet of earth?” Again, this was news to us.

Approach to the monument

Stone ship from a different perspective

The Park Ranger then invited us to explore a memorial designed by Rodney Leon in honor of African slaves. We walked towards a massive stone structure, evoking slave ships that once transported Africans from their homeland to the New World.

Passing through the hold of the ship

Passing through the ship, with streams of running water lapping at the sides of the hull, we stepped down into a circular enclosure with a map of the world etched in a stone floor.

Stepping into the Circle of Diaspora

The Circle of Diaspora, as it’s called, is oriented towards the Africa, the Motherland. The map is encircled by life-affirming symbols etched into the perimeter wall and each symbol represents a different West African community or culture.

Asase Ye Duru - "Divinity of Mother Earth"

At one time about one quarter of colonial New York’s labor was enslaved. Many of these laborers lived in lower Manhattan. The African Burial Ground helps us never to forget people and their stories…it is a place of remembrance, reflection, and resiliency.

Hye Won Hye - "Imperishability and Endurance"

We plan to go back to the Memorial during the week when the adjacent Visitor Center is open;it’s housed in the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway. The Center’s website  reveals beautiful artwork on display made by artists exploring the theme of African diaspora with a range of media. The Center is open Monday thorough Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for federal holidays.

The African Burial Ground National Monument, located at the corners of Duane and Elk Streets in lower Manhattan, is operated by the National Park Service. For directions to the site and more information, go to www.nps.gov/afbg.