City Council passes resolution urging progress on African Burial Ground

n 1991, during excavation for a new federal building in Lower Manhattan, the forgotten resting place of thousands of enslaved Africans was unearthed. It's believed that the six acres extending around and beyond City Hall Park contains up to 20,000 graves, making it the largest known African burial ground in this hemisphere.

Also in 1991, 230 remarkably well-preserved remains of these enslaved Africans were disinterred for scientific study. The research yielded a wealth of information about these ancestors who were used by the city of New Amsterdam to build lower Manhattan, including that many of them were mere children, and further, that they were literally worked to death.

After its discovery, the federal government handed the African Burial Ground Project over to the General Services Administration. There it has languished in bureaucracy for over a decade. The remains of the ancestors have never been returned to their graves, and no museum or memorial has been built.

Therefore, in the May 14^th City Council meeting Council Member Charles Barron introduced a resolution calling for the immediate reburial of the remains removed from the African Burial Ground and for the construction of a museum and memorial plaque to honor those who rest there. He asked his colleagues for their support, stating, "We must remember that from 1625 to 1827 there was slavery here in New York City. Right under this building in which we sit are the remains of our African ancestors."

The first of many councilmembers to add their voices in support of the resolution was Jose Serrano, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations. He said that the African Burial Ground is one of the most culturally significant sites in the entire city; yet, the federal government has failed to move in a timely manner to create an adequate memorial. "It is a shame it's been that way," he commented, "and I look forward to moving on this with the federal government so that a proper memorial is erected on the site."

Several other Council Members, including Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins, spoke of the blatant disrespect in failing to rebury the ancestors' bones after research on them was completed. Said Philip Reed, "It is plain and simply an outrage that the bones of our ancestors who were enslaved in this country and made to build lower Manhattan have been kept from re-interment. It's a simple request to put those bones back in the ground." Margarita Lopez stated, "The federal government has consistently disrespected people of African descent. With the burial ground the disrespect has grown beyond acceptance. We live in a society in which we honor our dead. It is time they return these bones to their proper place." Al Vann declared, "I am outraged that the federal government has shown such disrespect for our ancestors. If you do not respect our ancestors, it means you do not respect us."

Other Council Members pointed out the historical value of the Burial Ground. James Davis said that when people come to see the city, they are awed by the skyscrapers and many other things, but they don't think of the enslaved Africans who built this city originally. Yvette Clarke agreed that the history of this city has to be told truly and that the contribution of people of African ancestry must not be denied any longer. Later, in explaining why he had voted in favor of the resolution, Kendall Stewart stated that one of the great values of this archeological discovery is that it makes vivid the massive injustice that was committed against people of African ancestry not down South somewhere, but right here in this city. "These persons whose lives and labor were stolen from them deserve to have their remains reinterred immediately and a museum constructed," he said.

It was also good to hear the voices of two white Council Members raised in favor of the resolution as well. Speaking from the vantage point of his own Orthodox Jewish heritage, Simcha Felder commented, "I think that there is no greater kindness than what we call "chesed shel emes" which is the kindness of truth, the respect and the honor one gives the dead because that is a kindness that can't be repaid. There's nothing more important than showing respect for the dead, and that is what this resolution is trying to do."

David Yassky noted, "I remember very well in 1991 when the burial site was discovered, when people realized there was more here than met the eye. This is sacred ground. The federal government has defaulted on its responsibility. It was one thing to proceed without knowing, but now that they know what's here, there's no reason not to do the right thing."

When the vote was taken, the resolution passed unanimously.

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