Edition 1: HPSBG Fall 2017 Newsletter
Welcome to the HPSBG Newsletter. This year has witnessed some momentum in the advocacy towards commemorating the enslaved buried in the long forgotten burying ground in Hunts Point. The HPSBG Newsletter will keep you updated on the project progress, encourage you to advocate personally for a more permanent memorial here in New York City's neighborhood of Hunts Point, and inspire you to agitate for change in your communities. Please share the HPSBG Newsletter on your social media platforms of choice (Facebook...Twitter...)!
On November 14, 2017, the HPSBG Project was written up in The New York Times by Helene Stapinski. "On a recent warm afternoon, a small park in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx was empty except for one visitor — a jazz trombonist named Johnnie Butler, sitting beneath a weeping willow, practicing “A Long Drink of the Blues.”
ARCHAEOLOGY REPORT RELEASED CONFIRMS THE SITE
When the project began, when it wasn't even a 'project' but just research and teaching, students assisted in finding the location of a long forgotten and obliterated burial ground for enslaved people. The efforts of avocational historians and students wasn't accepted because 'one can't trust the research based on the work of fourth graders.' In stepped State Sen. Klein to fund an archaeological report by Dr. Jessica S. MacLean to verify the results, which were released in the summer of 2017.
"The historical photographic and documentary evidence supports the existence of a slave burial ground historically located on the south side of Old Hunts Point Road across from the family burial ground of the Hunt, Leggett, and Willett families known today as Drake Cemetery." Read the entire archaeology report from the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission or read it directly here on the HPSBG site. Then, join the community Facebook discussion on where do we go from here?
"The historical photographic and documentary evidence supports the existence of a slave burial ground historically located on the south side of Old Hunts Point Road across from the family burial ground of the Hunt, Leggett, and Willett families known today as Drake Cemetery." Read the entire archaeology report from the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission or read it directly here on the HPSBG site. Then, join the community Facebook discussion on where do we go from here?
ANALOG & DIGITAL: REDISCOVER AND VISIT THE HIDDEN SITE YOURSELF
'What if something from the past was forgotten, and now the community believes it should be remembered? What if you think it should be remembered? Well, starting today, you go on a historical journey to uncover the past, the history, of the neighborhood of Hunts Point.' Digitally walk in the steps of the youth historians and discover the site of the burial grounds.
Or take a visit down to the site itself. Walk around and find the weeping willow tree. Contemplate the lives and stories lived centuries ago on this spot. Determine how you may get involved in improving this park and memorializing the burial ground.
If you are an educator, National Geographic has curated the HPSBG website resources for teaching about the Geography of Civil Rights, including thoughtful discussion questions. Then use HSPBG as a template to tackle issues in your local community. A big thank you to all the HPSBG Partners for their commitment in so many ways!
Or take a visit down to the site itself. Walk around and find the weeping willow tree. Contemplate the lives and stories lived centuries ago on this spot. Determine how you may get involved in improving this park and memorializing the burial ground.
If you are an educator, National Geographic has curated the HPSBG website resources for teaching about the Geography of Civil Rights, including thoughtful discussion questions. Then use HSPBG as a template to tackle issues in your local community. A big thank you to all the HPSBG Partners for their commitment in so many ways!
Share Your Connections to The Hunts Point Community
Over the years, many people have written about their direct connections to the Hunts Point neighborhood, whether they have lived in the neighborhood themselves or their ancestors did. Would you like to share your historical connections to the Hunts Point Slave Burial Ground? Reach out to share your story and we may share it on the website and with students learning about the community.
Share a Story or Article
Do you have an idea for a post, article or story that would be worth sharing in an upcoming newsletter? Let us know. Or if you come by news that others will find valuable, share it on the HPSBG Facebook page.
Suggestions for Keeping Up the Momentum
What are your thoughts on progress of the HPSBG Project so far? We welcome your help in finding ways to develop new and innovative curriculum for students. We are seeking help developing locations and methods to organize community meetings to foster collaboration leading to permanently commemorate the site. We want to ensure the community has a voice and say in designing the permanent memorial and developing the park into an inviting local park. Share on Facebook and by contacting us.
Check out this haunting video of William Shakespeare's Sonnet 45, filmed on location at the site of the Hunts Point Slave Burial Ground. The Sonnet Project is, "a tapestry of cinematic art that infuses the poetry of William Shakespeare into the poetry of New York City. It’s huge, it’s visceral and it’s right here." Want to know more about Sonnet 45? The Sonnet Project shares and enjoy all the sonnets produced thus far.