AFRICANA HERITAGE - NYPL

AFRICANA HERITAGEThe New York Pub l i c L ib ra ry • Vo lume 6 , No . 1 , 2006 • Where Every Month I s B lack H i s to ry Month

T H E S C H O M B U R G C E N T E R F O R R E S E A R C H I N B L A C K C U LT U R E

Schomburg SupportsNew-York Historical

Society’s Slavery in NewYork Exhibition

n Wednesday, September 28 theceremonial groundbreaking forthe African Burial Ground exteri-or memorial took place in Lower

Manhattan, kicking off the second an-niversary of the reinterment of the 419 an-cestors. Wednesday’s event coincided withthe distribution date of the National ParkService (NPS) Draft Management Recom-mendations for the African Burial Ground.AARISS architect and memorial designwinner, Rodney León joined HowardDodson, Schomburg Director; Stephen A.Perry, Administrator, U.S. General Ser-vices Administration (GSA); and DonaldW. Murphy, Deputy Director, NationalPark Service, to mark the memorial site.The project is slated for completion byOctober 2006.

Stephen Perry noted: “When you reflecton how long it has been since we beganthis journey, indeed it has been way toolong. But we have finally come to the daywhen real progress is evident in terms ofthe memorialization of this site and theongoing celebration that we have annuallyto commemorate the lives of the peoplethat we celebrate today.” Perry delivered

some good news to the Center. “I’mpleased to note that the Schomburg hasbeen chosen to be the permanent reposi-tory for all of the artifacts and documentsrelated to the Burial Ground site.” He alsoannounced that the Schomburg was nowhandling the educational and public out-reach programs for the African BurialGround during the transition period untila final management solution is reached. Inaddition, Mr. Perry recognized membersof the African Burial Ground Memorial

HowardDodson with

Rodney León,Wesley

Snipes andtheir families

at theSecond

Anniversaryof the

reintermentcelebration

on Saturday,October 1,

2005.

A runaway slave ad like the one above is on displayin Slavery in New York.

he discovery of the African BurialGround in Lower Manhattan was in-strumental in shedding some lighton the lives of many Africans who

resided in and help to build colonial NewYork City. Just as the anniversary celebra-tions for the African Burial Ground con-cluded, the New-York Historical Societyopened its latest exhibition Slavery in NewYork, the first installment of a program slat-ed to run two years.

The exhibition program series organizedby the New-York Historical Society in col-laboration with other institutions, organi-zations, and corporations, features a widerange of public programs. It took the New-York Historical Society three years to createSlavery in New York. Some of the artifactson display are runaway and auction ads, thefirst paintings with blacks being depicted ineveryday life; chains and whips; replicas ofclothing that might have been worn bycolonial-era blacks; maps and timelines de-tailing major events in New York’s early his-tory; and some personal narratives.

Schomburg Director Howard Dodsongave the opening exhibition lecture, “Slav-

T

Continued on page 5

Continued on page 11

Left to right, Stephen A. Perry, Administrator, U.S.General Services Administration, and Donald W.Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park Service,underscore their commitment to keep the AfricanBurial Ground Project moving forward.

Schomburg Celebrates the Second Anniversaryof the African Burial Ground Reinterment

OMissingdsc_052.jpg.

t’s hard to believe that it has been over 14 yearssince New York’s African Burial Ground was “dis-covered.” Within weeks of its “discovery,” MayorDavid Dinkins drafted me to chair his advisory

committee, and a few months later I found myselfchairing the Federal Steering Committee on theAfrican Burial Ground. The Federal Committee wascharged with producing a report with recommenda-tions on how to memorialize the site and the ancestorswith the respect and dignity they deserved. Our reportwas submitted to Congress on April 6, 1993. It wasone of the only things that was completed on time inthe history of this project.

In the intervening years, despite a wide array of con-flicts, delays and missteps, several of the report’s rec-

ommendations have been implemented. Memorial artworks have been commissioned and installed in theFederal Building at 290 Broadway. Scientific researchon the 419 ancestral remains that were removed fromthe Burial Ground site has been completed. All butone of the research reports have been completed andthe last is slated for completion this spring. The 419enslaved Africans were reinterred at the Burial GroundMemorial site in a series of ceremonial events that af-firmed the significance of the 20,000 ancestors buriedthere in the formative stages of the development of theCity. The national competition to select a permanentmemorial to be built on the site has been completed.And Elk Street, which abuts the Burial GroundMemorial site, has been renamed African BurialGround Way. Over the last month (September-Octo-ber), we have taken several additional steps towardcompleting the memorialization agenda.

First, the Center organized the groundbreaking cere-

mony for the permanent memorial monument. Thisevent occurred on the Burial Ground site on Wednes-day, September 28th and featured the U.S. General Ser-vices Administration Administrator, Stephen A. Perry(the African American head of GSA who has spear-headed most of the recent developments) and RodneyLeón, the Haitian American architect who will designthe permanent memorial. Donald W. Murphy, DeputyDirector of the National Park Service (NPS) an-nounced the release of the NPS Draft ManagementRecommendations for the African Burial Ground re-port, which proposes four alternatives for the long-term management of the site. President Bush also tooksteps to make the site a National Monument—pavingthe way for the preferred alternative proposed in theNPS study. And over the weekend of September 30 –October 2, the Center organized and presented a seriesof commemorative events marking the second an-niversary of the reinterment of the 419 ancestral re-mains.

Inspired by the “discovery” of the African BurialGround and the events surrounding it over the last 14

years, the New-York Historical Society has organized amajor exhibit—the largest in its history—on the themeSlavery in New York. The exhibit opened October 7 andruns through March 5, 2006. The Schomburg Centerhas collaborated with the Historical Society in develop-ing the exhibit and its public program series, both ofwhich will enhance public knowledge of the BurialGround and the African presence in New York City.

The Malcolm X exhibit continues to attract largeaudiences and will run through December 2005. In re-sponse to the continuing interest in the theme, theCenter will represent In Motion: The African AmericanMigration Experience starting in February, Black His-tory Month 2006.

The General Research and Reference Division hasmoved to the American Negro Theater space. The mainentrance to the Center has moved to 103 W. 135thStreet (the original Schomburg Center building en-trance) and the construction and renovation project isrunning full steam ahead. The Photographs and PrintsDivision, which was closed for a month for renovation,has reopened. And the Center’s fall programming sea-son is in high gear. We are all here ready to welcomeyou and be of service to you when you visit. When youcan’t make it in, check our Web site at www.schom-burgcenter.org to keep abreast of what’s happening.

2 Africana Heritage • Volume 6, No. 1, 2005 • Where Every Month Is Black History Month

FROM THE CHIEF

In response to the continuinginterest in the theme, the Center will

represent In Motion: The AfricanAmerican Migration Experience

starting in February.— Howard Dodson, Schomburg Chief

Africana Heritage • Volume 6, No. 1, 2005 • Where Every Month Is Black History Month 3

ne hundred and fifty New YorkLife/Schomburg Center JuniorScholars are excited at the prospectof learning about African-Ameri-can history in a variety of ways. Ju-

nior Scholars are ACTIVE learners. Theywrite research papers, interview Living Leg-ends, immerse themselves in some of the 10millions items available at the SchomburgCenter, participate in field trips, and presenttheir creative ideas to their peers and to thepublic.

Students in this year’s class are from allfive New York City boroughs and severalsurrounding counties, with the majority ofthe Junior Scholars being male. Forty-eight

percent of 2005-2006 Junior Scholars arehigh school students. This year, the twelfthgrade students are the largest in their agegroup since the inception of the program.

Recognizing that each scholar gainsknowledge differently, instructional staffcrafts curriculum and lesson plans to ad-dress Junior Scholars who are visual, audito-

ry, or tactile learners or various degrees of allthree. This strategy enables Junior Scholarsto gain a deeper understanding and appreci-ation of the topics covered. Junior ScholarInez, 12, maintains that, “I believe that thisknowledge will help me to make choicesabout my contributions to our society.”

Students between the ages of 11 and 17come to the Junior Scholars Program withthe same high expectations as the instruc-tional staff. First year Junior Scholar Zenzile,12, summarizes her views when she writes,“Iwill strive to become a scholar of my heritageand culture.”

Dr. Molefi Asante thrilled the Junior

Junior Scholars gather on stage in the Langston Hughes Auditorium to take their group photo.

“The Junior Scholars Program is the

best program for me!” says Richard,

15, first year Junior Scholar.”

A Diverse Group of Young Scholars

It was 50 years ago on December 1,1955 when Rosa Parks made the de-cision that would alter history—sherefused to give up her seat on aMontgomery, Alabama bus to awhite man. During the Jim Crow erait was not only illegal for blacks to sit in the front of buses, if thoseseats became full, they were then required to get up to make thosein the rear available to whites. She was arrested, charged, and fined.

Mrs. Parks knew she was “breaking the law,” but decided, at thatmoment, when the bus driver demanded that she get up that shewasn’t going to be a second-class citizen any longer. Her action wasthe catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s

and led to the historic 382-day boycott of public buses in herhometown. Rosa Parks’ case brought national and international at-tention to the many injustices that existed in the Jim Crow Southand helped to launch the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whowas one of the bus boycott organizers. The U.S. Supreme Courteventually outlawed legal segregation on city buses.

For many, Rosa Parks put a face on all that was wrong with segre-gation in America. Mrs. Parks was always trying to reach and teachyouth, whether through her own organization, the Rosa and Ray-mond Parks Institute for Self-Development, or her numerous pub-lic speaking engagements. She was the recipient of many humani-tarian awards, including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. NonviolentMedal of Freedom and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for heryears of service and commitment to the struggle for equal rights.Her legacy and her sacrifice will never be forgotten.

O

I

Rosa ParksIn Memoriam

1913-2005

“I was determined to achieve the total freedom thatour history lessons taught us we were entitled to,no matter what the sacrifice.”—Rosa Parks

Continued on page 10


H E R I TA G E WATCH


n the last Friday of September 2005,two thousand New York City studentscircled the African Burial Ground. Toan uninformed bystander, the kidsmay have just been winding their waythrough the streets of Lower Manhat-

tan, but they were actually tracing the his-toric boundaries of the largest slavery-eracemetery ever discovered in the Americas byparticipating in a Ring Shout.

The Ring Shout is one of the oldestAfrican American musical traditions. Withorigins in Africa, the Ring Shout containedall of the musical elements that later evolvedinto other musical styles, including gospel,jazz, and rhythm and blues. It is a combina-tion of music, dance, and song. The ceremo-ny was used for happy or sad occasions, likemarriage or death. To start, people first gath-ered, then they began to move slowly in acounter-clockwise circle to a beat or cadencestarted by a drum or other musical instru-ment, or singing. Hand-clapping, foot-stomping, or vocal calls can be enough tostart the shout. Participants then simply fol-lowed the rhythm and path of the ring-leader.

The students first assembled at City HallPark where they were welcomed by Schom-burg Center Director Howard Dodson andlegendary Hip-Hop artist MC Lyte, whochallenged the students to honor their an-cestors by “taking seriously” their education.They were then directed to begin the circle,

and the Youth Ring Shout. Manystudents held hands as the line ex-tended for two blocks along Broad-way, and Duane and Centre Streets,three sides of the original seven-acre cemetery. At its widest ex-panse, students linked hands alongChambers Street—spanning thelength of two football fields.

The police stopped traffic onBroadway and the Brooklyn Bridgefor nearly half an hour to get the studentsinto place. Once the young participants wereassembled, downtown office workers couldhear the sounds: singing, shouting, anddrumming, in honor of the 20,000 men,

women, and children buried beneath thebuildings, streets, and sidewalks of NewYork. The Youth Ring Shout will be an annu-al event at the African Burial Ground cele-bration, where the city’s youngest gather tolet their voices ring loud and proud.

Design Advisory Committee, and thankedthem for their service. Those receiving cer-tificates included: Herb Bennett, StevenCampbell, Dowoti Desir, Gene Norman andGrace Stanislaus.

The NPS Deputy Director reaffirmed hisorganization’s as well as his own commit-ment to the successful completion and man-agement of the African Burial Ground site.“I’d like to start off by recognizing the de-scendants who I think figuratively, if not lit-erally, stood in the gap,” said Donald Mur-phy. “For those of you raised in the BaptistChurch you know what that really means.‘Standing in the Gap’ between the bulldoz-

ers, and the construction of this FederalBuilding to make sure that our ancestors,these displaced Africans, were ‘done right by,’as my mother would have said.”

Students from Frederick Douglass Acade-my II in Harlem also participated in the cer-emony. Carrying flags bearing the Sankofasymbol, logo for the African Burial GroundProject, the students escorted speakers andother special guests to the location on whichthe memorial’s Libation Chamber will beerected. Together they raised the flags, andthen lowered them to define the circulararea.

The second anniversary celebration activ-ities during the following weekend, Africansin the Americas: Celebrating the Ancestral

Heritage, focused on the theme: Meditationson Compassion and Healing. More than4,000 people turned out to show supportduring the festivities held on Friday, Satur-day, and Sunday, and to celebrate theAfrican-American legacy. Friday’s event be-gan with a brief assembly led by MC Lyte be-fore a Youth Ring Shout ceremony, in whichnearly two thousand New York City school-children circled Broadway and Chambers,Centre, and Duane Streets to outline the sev-en acres where the African Burial Groundonce stood. The Ring Shout was accompa-nied by drummers and ended with perfor-mances by the Women of Calabash and thecast of the South African musical, Drum-struck.

Youths Gathered to Celebrate the African Burial Ground

African Burial Ground Moves Toward National Designation

LEFT Studentsprepare acircle aroundthe cityblocks thatmark theoriginalAfrican Bur-ial Ground.

BELOWWomen ofCalabashtake part inthe RingShout cere-mony.

FAR LEFT NationalPark ServiceDeputy DirectorDonald Murphy(left), Memorialarchitect RodneyLeón (center)with New YorkCity studentsholding Sankofaflags at the Cer-emonial Groundbreaking.

LEFT RodneyLeón addressesthe crowd aboutthe importanceof the AfricanBurial Groundproject.

wo days after the ceremonies endedfor the second annual African BurialGround reinterment celebration,President George W. Bush sent amemorandum to Secretary of the In-

terior Gale Norton, asking her to providehim with “an assessment of the historic andscientific significance of the African BurialGround and whether it may warrant per-manent Federal protection through desig-nation as a National Monument.”

“This burial site was closed for 200 yearsand wiped from the public’s memory,” ex-plained Schomburg Director Howard Dod-son. “The President’s decision will engravein the public’s memory an awareness of therole people of African descent had in themaking of New York and the Americas.

They were pioneering settlers of the West-ern Hemisphere.”

The President’s request is a major step indetermining the future management of theAfrican Burial Ground. New York CityMayor Mike Bloomberg has sent a letter toPresident Bush stating the city’s support forthe National Monument status. Its designa-tion as a National Monument will pave theway for the African Burial Ground site tobecome a unit of the National Park system.Meanwhile, the National Park Service(NPS), at the request of the General Ser-vices Administration, has conducted astudy to identify management alternativesand released its findings in its Draft Man-agement Recommendations for the AfricanBurial Ground. The NPS has gathered pub-

lic comments on the draft report in writing,electronically, and at two open house gath-erings, and will incorporate its findingsinto the final report.

Although things seem to be moving ontrack toward finalizing management plansfor the African Burial Ground site, Dodsoncautions that, “The key now is to ensurethat the National Park Service has sufficientauthority and resources to make the desig-nation real.” From the way Deputy DirectorMurphy spoke at the groundbreaking cere-mony it seems that he is truly determinedto see things through. “I am extremely con-fident that this site will become a NationalHistoric Monument and it will be managedby the National Park Service for posterity—for this and future generations.”

This was followed by a consecration cere-mony to prepare for the permanent memor-ial at the burial ground site. Ecumenicalprayers were raised by Rev. Gregory RobesonSmith of the historic Mother A.M.E. ZionChurch, Canon Frederick B. Williams,Church of the Intercession; Dr. JamesForbes, Riverside Church; Rev. DarrenMitchell, First A.M.E. Zion Church; Rev.Darnell Montgomery, Metropolitan A.M.EChurch; and Rev. Renée Washington,Memorial Baptist Church, along with a stir-ring performance by The McCullough In-vaders brass band plus violinist and Hurri-cane Katrina survivor, Tadia Lynch.Speakers—New York State Regents ViceChancellor Adelaide L. Sanford, Schomburg

Director Howard Dodson, memorial de-signer Rodney León, and New York CityCouncilman Bill Perkins—all took the stageto share their thoughts. Later CouncilmenBill Perkins and Robert Jackson directed theunveiling of the African Burial Ground Waystreet sign. A vigil led by Rev. Gerald Becklesconcluded the first day’s festivities, with aperformance by Drummer Louis Hayes andthe Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, aspoken word tribute by Russell SimmonsDef Poets Black Ice and Kayo, and open micpresentations

Saturday’s activities began with ecumeni-cal prayers by Rev. Herbert Daughtry, Houseof the Lord Pentecostal Church; SpiritualLeader Kevin Tarrant of the Hopi and Win-

nebago Tribes; and the Native American en-semble, The Silver Clouds. The afternoonAfrican Diasporan cultural celebration fea-tured performances by singers, Kaissa, fromCameroon and Ileana Santamaria (Cubandescent); along with The Eleanor RooseveltIntermediate School Concert Choir, TheGarifuna Dance Company; Adada-Capoeira; and Brooklyn’s Musart SteelDrum Band. Also in attendance were actorWesley Snipes with his family, and ConsulGenerals Julia Machado of Angola and FikileMagubane of South Africa, all of whomgreeted the audience. On the final day, theAfrican Burial Ground site was open forpublic viewing. Many people made their wayto see the final resting place for the 419 rein-

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BURIAL GROUND, continued from page 1


A R O U N D T H ES C H O M B U R G C E N T E R


Schomburg Librarian Honored

Councilmen Bill Perkins and Robert Jackson unveiled thestreet sign renaming Elk Street, African Burial Ground Way.(left to right) Canon Frederick B. Williams; Rev. JamesForbes; Dr. Adelaide L. Sanford; Howard Dodson; BillPerkins; Tadia Lynch; Robert Jackson; Rev. Darren Mitchell;and Rev. Gregory Robeson Smith.

Howard Dodson joins (from left to right) Dr. Delois Blakely; Fikile Magubane, ConsulGeneral of South Africa in NY; and singer Kaissa to honor those buried at the site.

Singer Ilena Santamaria performs at the African BurialGround celebration.

The youngest members of the McCullough Invaders Brass Bandentertain the audience at the African Burial Ground celebrationon Saturday, October 1, 2005.

Howard Dodson, humorist and activist Dick Gregory, and series moderator Dr.Cornel West prepare for the first of four Leadership Forums, “Higher Pursuits:Black Political Aspirations, Obstacles, and Challenges,” at the Schomburg onOctober 17, 2005.

Speakers at the 25thCommemoration of Walter Rodneygathered to remember and honorGuyana’s revolutionary scholar.(From left to right): Lincoln VanSluytman; Amita Swadhin;Humberto Brown; Moses Bhagwan;Walter’s daughter, Kanini Rodney;Horace Campbell; and HowardDodson on October 21, 2005.

KaniniRodney joins

HowardDodson tocelebrate

her father’slegacy.

Manuscript Librarian Steven G. Fullwood multitasking

Dick Gregory’s humor makes it hard for Dr. West and Rev. Al Sharpton to containtheir laughter at the Leadership Forum.

The Honorable Rex Nettleford (center), Vice Chancellor Emeritus of the Univer-sity of the West Indies, Jamaica; Caribbean International Network (CIN) CEOSteven Hill (left), and Howard Dodson at CIN’s “Caribbean Diversity: A DefiningPoint in the History of the Americas,” on October 20, 2005.

Series moderator Dr. Cornel West (second from left) at the second of four Leader-ship Forums, "Higher Pursuits--Achieving Academic Excellence in an Age ofMediocrity" on November 7, 2005, with panelists (Left to right): Dr. Edmund W.Gordon, Founder and Director, Teachers College's Institute for Urban and MinorityEducation, Columbia University; Schomburg Director Howard Dodson; GeoffreyCanada, President and CEO of Harlem Children's Zone; Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III,President of SUNY College at Old Westbury and Pastor of Abyssinian BaptistChurch; Karole Turner Campbell, Educational and Personal Development Consul-tant; and Dr. Walter J. Turnbull, Founder and Director, Boys Choir of Harlem.

Artist and professor Ben Jonesnominated Steven G. Fullwood,Schomburg Manuscript Librari-an, for The New York Times Li-brarian Award, after receivingassistance from him on manyoccasions. According to Full-wood he was just doing what heenjoys.“I am fortunate because Ilove my job, love my co-workersand I also have the privilege ofdoing work that connects peopleto information and that’s grati-fying,” says Fullwood.

On November 16, 2005 TheNew York Times issued its presti-gious award to 27 librariansacross the country. Out of 1,200entries, Fullwood was selected asone of the recipients. The win-ners were based on their out-

standing public service and theimpact they have on their pa-trons. As part of the ceremony,The Times invited all the partici-pants and a guest to their NewYork office for the award presen-tation and a cocktail reception.Each winner not only received acheck for $2,500 and a com-memorative plaque, but also an-other plaque to display at theirrespective libraries.

Fullwood commented,“we of-ten suffer from a lack of re-sources, yet even under dire cir-cumstances, we do so much tofacilitate and translate informa-tion to a wide range of peoplefor a multitude of reasons. It’s anoble field and I am honored tobe a part of it.”

8 Africana Heritage • Volume 6, No. 1, 2006 • Where Every Month Is Black History Month Africana Heritage • Volume 6, No. 1, 2006 • Where Every Month Is Black History Month 9

N EW FROM THE SCHOMBURG CENTER

In Motion

This landmark work covers four major pe-riods of migration that define the African-American experience and shaped the cul-tural, religious, economic, and political lifeof the communities in which they settled. Afollow-up to the critically acclaimed Jubilee,In Motion: The African-American MigrationExperience (National Geographic) alsochronicles a people whose movements overthe last 500 years, both coerced and willing,inspired a culture and shaped a nation. InMotion will make a perfect holiday gift andalso features 170 illustrations and fourmaps. Price: $35

In Motion Education Kit

An exceptional resource for schools,churches and community centers, this kitincludes illustrations, maps, a poster and abibliography. Price: $24.95

Black New Yorkers

Explore four centuries of African-Americanculture and achievement with Black NewYorkers: Four Hundred Years of African

American History (Wiley). This one-of-a-kind illustrated chronology celebrates thelives, history and legacies of little known aswell as prominent African-American fig-ures. Packed with information about histo-ry makers like W.E.B. Du Bois, SojournerTruth, Malcolm X, Paul Robeson, KareemAbdul-Jabbar, Lena Horne, Spike Lee, andmany more. Black New Yorkers is an indis-pensable companion for any reader inter-ested in the African-American experience.Note: members receive an additional 10percent off when they purchase this publi-cation. Price: hardcover, $40; paperback$14.95

Jubilee: The Emergence ofAfrican-American Culture

Howard Dodson with Amiri Baraka, JohnHope Franklin, Gail Buckle, Henry LouisGates, Jr., Annette Gordon-Reed, andGayraud S. Wilmore

Jubilee (National Geographic), a beautifullyillustrated full-color volume, documentsthe courageous and innovative ways thatenslaved Africans developed their ownunique culture in the midst of slavery. Italso examines how that culture evolved andflourished the years after emancipation tothe turn of the century. Note: members re-ceive an additional 10 percent off whenthey purchase this publication. Price: $35

The Encyclopedia of African AmericanCulture and History, 2nd Edition: The

Black Experience in the Americas

The second edition of The Encyclopedia ofAfrican American Culture and History(Thomson Gale) is a six-volume, compre-

hensive compendium of knowledge on thehistorical and cultural development ofpeople of African descent at the beginningof the twenty-first century. A product ofthe most recent scholarship on theAfrican-American and African Diasporanexperience, The Encyclopedia offers a con-venient introduction to this vast array ofinformation. Note: Limited copies will beavailable to Schomburg Society membersbeginning at the Supporter level ($100and above) at a special price of $300 untilthe end of Black History Month 2006.Price: $625

The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesdaythrough Saturday, Noon to 6 p.m. Or to or-der, call (212) 491-2206.

Coming Events

BOOK CELEBRATION Tuesday, January 24, 2006, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.The Encyclopedia of African American Cul-ture and History, 2nd Edition: The Black Ex-perience in the Americas.

NATIONAL BLACK FINE ART SHOWThursday, February 2 – Sunday, February 5,2006Charity Preview to benefit the SchomburgCenter: Wednesday, February 1, 2006The Puck Building295 Lafayette StreetSoho, New YorkFor preview tickets and prices call theSchomburg Shop at (212) 491-2206. Forgeneral information, visit www.blackfin-eartshow.com.

ExhibitionIn MotionFebruary 1, 2006 The highly successful exhibition In Motion:The African-American Migration Experiencewill reopen at the beginning of Black Histo-ry Month. Thirty-five million AfricanAmericans are heirs to migrations that haveshaped this country and the African Dias-pora. Come see the images, maps, manu-

scripts and listen tothe music of a peoplewhose movementshave inspired andshaped a nation forhalf a millennium. Ifyou missed it lastyear, come and ex-plore. And if you’veseen it already, comeand see it again.

On-Line ServicesIn MotionThis Web site documents the migrations ofpeople of African descent in, within, andoutside the U.S. It covers thirteen migra-tions with more than 16,000 pages of essays,

books articles and manuscripts, 8,000 im-ages and 100 detailed lesson plans for mid-dle and high schools (covers history, geog-raphy, social studies, language and arts);and 60 maps. The In Motion Web site offersa wealth of information for ordinary citi-zens, scholars, educators and students. Formore information, visit: www.schomburg-center.org

Schomburg Studies on the Black ExperienceThis comprehensive digital archive of thirtyvolumes on major themes in African Dias-poran history and culture was edited by theSchomburg Center and will be publishedon-line by ProQuest. Howard Dodson is theSeries Director and Colin Palmer is theManaging Editor. The archive providesgroundbreaking work from the foremostexperts in the field. These leading scholarshave selected core articles and book chap-ters that illustrate the best research andwriting in a variety of disciplines, includinghistory, religion, sociology, political science,economics, art, literature, and psychology.Presented in essay form, the writing is self-contained but links together to provide anexhaustive, interdisciplinary survey of theexperiences of people of African descent. It

is poised to become the first place scholarsperform their research.Note: The collection will be available to col-leges and universities on a subscription basisFor more information, visit: www.schom-burgcenter.org

Schomburg Center programs and exhibitions aresupported in part by the City of New York, the Sateof New York, the Office of the Borough President ofManhattan, the New York State Black, Puerto Ri-can and Hispanic Legislative Caucus, the Rocke-feller Foundation Endowment for the PerformingArts, The Coca-Cola Foundation, New York LifeFoundation, Annie E. and Sarah L. Delaney Char-itable Trusts, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and theEdler Hawkins Foundation.

The Schomburg Center is a member of the HarlemStrategic Cultural Collaborative (HSCC).

Schomburg Center to beBeneficiary of the 10th Anniversary National BlackFine Art Show Preview

Keeling Wainwright Associates hasselected the Schomburg Center tobe the beneficiary of the 10th An-

niversary National Black Fine Art Show(NBFAS) preview party on Wednesdayevening, February 1, 2006. The previewwill be held at the Puck Building atHouston and Lafayette Streets in NewYork City. The National Black Fine ArtShow presents the unique opportunityto view as well as purchase work byAfrican-American, African, and Caribbean artists, both estab-lished and emerging. Since its founding in 1997, the show hasbecome one of the most influential fine art fairs in the world.Thirty-eight international exhibitors will participate in the2006 NBFAS.

Schomburg Director Howard Dodson noted, “The Schom-burg Center is delighted to have been selected to be the Nation-

al Black Fine Art Show’s 2006 PreviewBeneficiary. Its focus on the art of peopleof African descent complements and en-hances the Center’s commitment to pre-serve and celebrate the history and her-itage of African peoples worldwide.”

Describing its impact and significance,show founder Joscelyn Wainwright com-mented, “The National Black Fine ArtShow has taken an underexposed area ofthe fine art market and successfully in-jected it into the mainstream conscious-ness of the art world. The art producedby any culture represents the experience,thoughts, and circumstance of the peopleof that culture. Supporting the unhin-dered production of that art is a job thatwe all have the obligation to encourage.”

Susan L. Taylor, Editorial Director, Essence Magazine, willhost the opening night preview. The show is co-sponsored byThe New York Times, Essence, American Legacy, WNYC, Hen-nessy, and Moet & Chandon. Early entry at 5:00 p.m. is $150;admittance at 6:30 p.m. is $100. For preview tickets, call TheSchomburg Shop at (212) 491-2206. For general information,visit www.blackfineartshow.com.

Check Out These Holiday & Black History Month Gift Ideas at The Schomburg Shop:


AFRICANA HERITAGE2006 Volume 6, Number 1Africana Heritage is a quarterly publication of the Schom-burg Center for Research in Black Culture for memberswho contribute $35 or more annually. The SchomburgCenter is one of the Research Libraries of The New YorkPublic Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.

Africana Heritage, 515 Malcolm X

Boulevard, New York, NY 10037

Copyright © 2006 The New York

Public Library, Astor, Lenox and

Tilden Foundations

Howard Dodson Executive Editor

Roberta Yancy Managing Editor

Ann-Marie Nicholson Editor

Carlyle G. Leach, Christopher Moore Contributors

Kenneth McFarlin Graphic Designer

Barry Mason, E. Lee White, Dale Gregory, Bob Gore,Terrence Jennings Photography

E-mail AnnouncementsThe Schomburg Center would like to send our members e-mail announcementsabout upcoming program events. To join our e-mailing list, please fill out thiscoupon and return it to Membership, Schomburg Center for Research in BlackCulture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037.

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Rental Service AvailableIn addition to our collections, theSchomburg Center has an activerental service. The beautiful facili-ties are professionally equippedand can accommodate a widerange of special events from con-certs, music, theater, and recep-tions to educational seminars andconferences at competitive marketbased rental rates. Call (212) 491-2257 for rates and information.


SCHOMBURG SOCIETY CONSERVATORSThe Schomburg Center ispleased to acknowledge thefollowing donors of gifts of$1,000 or more from August30, 2005 - October 26, 2005.

Mr. Kenneth C. Allen

Ms. Regina Austin

Mr. and Mrs. John M.Gantt

Mr. Milton Hill

Ego and Cassianna Hayes

Mr. Quincy Jones

Ms. Judith Lovell

Mr. John A. McKinney

Portia and Basil Paterson

Ms. Lovetta Brooks andMs. Vivian L. Reid Dr andMrs. Franklin L. Robinson

Ms. Helen Russell

On Saturday, October 22nd andMonday, October 24, 2005 theNational Park Service (NPS) held

public open house gatherings so membersof the community could come out to raisequestions and voice their opinions aboutthe four alternatives in the NPS Draft Man-agement Recommendations for the AfricanBurial Ground. The four alternatives are:

Alternative A The implementation of thepresent plans to create a memorial and aninterpretive center at 290 Broadway. Itwould still be a National Historic Land-mark but the center would have its ownstaff with operations being handled by anoutside institution and administration bythe General Services Administration. Visit-ing hours will be limited to the weekdays.

Alternative B Includes the present plans, aslisted in Alternative A, with administrationand conveyance by a state or municipalagency. The Historic Surplus Property Pro-gram would handle management of theAfrican Burial Ground memorial.

Alternative C Would upgrade the AfricanBurial Ground site to National Monument,National Historic Site or National Memori-al designation. This alternative would havea strong emphasis on extensive educationaloutreach. The African Burial Groundwould become a unit of the National ParkService and feature externalized program-ming that would occur off-site. The 290Broadway space would house the educa-tional hub. Plus a heritage trail of relatedsites would be created throughout lowerManhattan. Civic engagement would bethrough an African Burial Ground Federal

Advisory Commission. This allows theAfrican Burial Ground increased visibility,although the visiting hours would still belimited to the weekdays.

Alternative D Would also upgrade the site toeither a National Monument or NationalMemorial designation with expandedAfrican Burial Ground facilities, program-ming and visitors center. 290 Broadwaywould still be used for educational pro-grams. There would be an additional facili-ty within the National Historic Landmarkboundary. Although the external program-ming portion would be less intensive, itwould still include the heritage trail, and avisitors’ facility that would be open sevendays a week. A Federal Advisory Commis-sion is recommended to assist in plan-ning/programming.

Open House Meetings Held to Get Public CommentsAbout the Future of African Burial Ground

Citizens come out to the Brooklyn Public Library and the Schomburg to give their feedback, ask questions, and fill out a survey about the future management of the AfricanBurial Ground.

ery in the Americas, Slavery in New York,”at the New-York Historical Society.Through Dodson’s speech, many in theaudience learned for the first time that en-slaved Africans once far outnumbered Eu-ropeans in the Americas. “To learn thatwhites were only one million of the first6.5 million people to migrate west acrossthe Atlantic Ocean astonished me,” saidone observer. “That statistic alone literallyblew me away.”

Christopher Moore, an author, a mem-ber of the New York City LandmarksCommission, and Schomburg ResearchCoordinator, led a walking tour of “TheAfrican American Freedom Trail: FromSlavery to Freedom in New York City.” Themile-long trail took walkers in the foot-steps of the first Africans who arrivedalong with European settlers in LowerManhattan in the 1600s. Tracing theirjourney from slavery to freedom, the tourstopped at historic sites where enslavedand free blacks lived and worked, includ-ing Broadway and the wall (Wall Street),which were built by the labor of enslavedAfricans; farms owned by free blacks; Un-derground Railroad sites; and the city’sfirst black churches, schools, and business-es. “Much of the trail is based on the pio-

neering research of historians James Wel-don Johnson, Roi Ottley, and M.L.“Spike”Harris,” said Moore. The tour, which wassold-out weeks in advance, concluded atthe African Burial Ground. (See theSchomburg program calendar in this issuefor other collaborative events or visitwww.nyhistory.org.)

SLAVERY, Continued from page 1

Howard Dodson speaks to a standing roomonly audience at the New-York HistoricalSociety’s lecture, “Slavery in the Americas,Slavery in New York.”

Scholars with his scholarship and historical insight during his visit inNovember. In past visits, Dr. Asante has commented that, “The Ju-nior Scholars is an impressive program for inspiring and challengingour youth. It is well run, dynamic and powerful.”

So far, students have visited the Slavery in New York exhibition atthe New-York Historical Society, researched lynching in the UnitedStates, and interviewed Jimmie Briggs, author of Innocents Lost:When Child Soldiers Go to War. Additionally, Junior Scholars willread excerpts of books written by Dr. Gerald C. Horne in prepara-

tion for his future visit. Dr. Horne states, “I am excited at theprospect of speaking to New York metropolitan youth about laborand the Civil Rights Movement, historical relations between African-Americans and Mexicans, and racism during World War II.”

For additional information about the program, please contact eitherCarlyle G. Leach, Director of the Junior Scholars Program, [email protected] or Deirdre L. Hollman, Associate Director, at [email protected] and 212-491-2234.

JUNIOR SCHOLARS, Continued from page 3

ASSOCIATE - $35 ($35 tax deductible)

•A year’s subscription to theSchomburg newsletter

•A 20% discount in theSchomburg Shop

•A monthly program calendar

•A personalized member-ship card

•Up to 20% discount ontickets to select Center-sponsored programs

FRIEND - $50 ($50 tax deductible)

All Associate benefits, plus:

•Invitations to members-only exhibition previews,lectures and seminars

SUPPORTER - $100 ($94 tax deductible)

All Friend benefits, plus:

•An annual subscription tothe Quarterly Black Re-view of Books

•Invitations to VIP events

PATRON - $250 ($226 tax deductible)

All Supporter benefits, plus:

•A complimentary copy of amajor Center publication

SUSTAINER - $500 ($434 tax deductible)

All Patron benefits, plus:

•Two tickets to a selectSchomburg Center concertor performance

CONSERVATOR - $1,000($914 tax deductible)

All Sustainer benefits, plus:•Acknowledgment in theSchomburg Centernewsletter and the Li-brary’s Annual Report

HERITAGE CIRCLE -$2,500 ($2,414 tax deductible)

All Conservator benefits,plus:•A private behind thescenes tour led by the Cen-ter’s Chief

CHIEF’S CIRCLE - $5,000($4,864 tax deductible)

All Heritage Circle benefits,plus:•An invitation to an annualluncheon with the Chief

Schomburg Society BenefitsA Message fromthe NationalMembership Chair

Knowing ourlegacy—undistorted

by others anddocumented bythose who livedit—correctlyaligns you and meand our childrenin the continuing struggle to fullyclaim our dignity in all areas of life.

Please join with me and thousandsof others who are making certain thatthe Schomburg has the funds not onlyto continue its unique mission, but toexpand its outreach into every home,school, and library.

Please join me as a SchomburgSociety Member now!

Please make check or money order payable to the Schomburg Center/NYPL. Mail to:

The Schomburg Society • 515 Malcolm X Boulevard • New York, NY 10037-1801. To

charge call The Shop: (212) 491-2206, Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

AFRICANA HERITAGEThe Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureThe New York Public Library515 Malcolm X BoulevardNew York, NY 10037-1801

Visit the Schomburg Center On-Line at www.schomburgcenter.org

The Schomburg Center is available for space rental.

For further information contact: (212) 491-2257.

Dr. Maya Angelou

AFRICANA HERITAGE - NYPL

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