Research Catalog

Title

African Burial Ground Committee files, 1991-1994.

Supplementary Content

Finding aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Dodson, Howard.
• Jorde, Peggy King.
• Moore, Christopher Paul, 1952-2022.
• Tabasi, Adunni Oshupa.
• Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground (New York, N.Y.)
• Howard University. Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• New York (N.Y.). Mayor's Committee on the African Burial Ground.
• New York (N.Y.). Landmarks Preservation Commission.
• United States. General Services Administration.

Description

3.2 lin. ft. (9 archival boxes)

Summary

The African Burial Ground Committee files (1991-1994) consist of administrative records kept by Howard Dodson, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. These documents relate to his work as chairman of the Federal Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground in New York City. The majority of the collection consists of administrative records created or used by the Federal Steering Committee, including meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports and transcripts.

Subjects

• African Burial Ground (New York, N.Y.)
• Burial > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century
• Slaves > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century
• African Americans > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century
• Historic districts > New York (State) > New York > History
• Excavations (Archaeology) > New York (State) > New York
• Memorials > New York (State) > New York
• Cemeteries > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century
• Historic sites > New York (State) > New York > History
• Africans > New York (State) > New York > History > 18th century

Source (note)

• Howard Dodson

Biography (note)

• In 1991, skeletal remains from the 18th century were discovered in the course of excavation for a new federal office building in Lower Manhattan. The investigation eventually revealed more than 400 intact graves belonging to free and enslaved African and African American men, women, and children. It was determined that the boundaries of the burial ground, originally called the Negro Burial Ground, encompassed a 6.6 acre piece of land in area bounded by present day Broadway, Elk, Duane and Reade Streets.
• The discovery of these African and African American remains concerned stakeholders at the city, state, federal, and community level. Mayor David Dinkins convened a committee to advise on the issues. In 1992, after the federal government took control of the project, the Mayor's Committee on the African Burial Ground was dismantled and a Federal Steering Committee was formed for the purposes of "advising the Administrator of General Services and the Congress in determining the present and future activities affecting the pavilion portion of the Federal construction site," including review of proposals regarding the human remains, issues of analysis and reinterment of the remains, and construction of a memorial and other educational and artistic additions to the site. The activities of the Steering Committee intersected with many and varied organizations and individuals at the local, city, state, and federal level. On several issues, for example, the movement and study of the remains found at the burial ground site, there was a great deal of controversy among these various groups, which was documented in the transcripts of the Federal Steering Committee's meetings, the related correspondence and the press of the day.

Call Number

Sc MG 566

OCLC

557671549

Title

African Burial Ground Committee files, 1991-1994.

Biography

In 1991, skeletal remains from the 18th century were discovered in the course of excavation for a new federal office building in Lower Manhattan. The investigation eventually revealed more than 400 intact graves belonging to free and enslaved African and African American men, women, and children. It was determined that the boundaries of the burial ground, originally called the Negro Burial Ground, encompassed a 6.6 acre piece of land in area bounded by present day Broadway, Elk, Duane and Reade Streets.

The discovery of these African and African American remains concerned stakeholders at the city, state, federal, and community level. Mayor David Dinkins convened a committee to advise on the issues. In 1992, after the federal government took control of the project, the Mayor's Committee on the African Burial Ground was dismantled and a Federal Steering Committee was formed for the purposes of "advising the Administrator of General Services and the Congress in determining the present and future activities affecting the pavilion portion of the Federal construction site," including review of proposals regarding the human remains, issues of analysis and reinterment of the remains, and construction of a memorial and other educational and artistic additions to the site. The activities of the Steering Committee intersected with many and varied organizations and individuals at the local, city, state, and federal level. On several issues, for example, the movement and study of the remains found at the burial ground site, there was a great deal of controversy among these various groups, which was documented in the transcripts of the Federal Steering Committee's meetings, the related correspondence and the press of the day.

Connect to:

Finding aid

Added Author

Dodson, Howard.

Jorde, Peggy King.

Moore, Christopher Paul, 1952-2022.

Tabasi, Adunni Oshupa.

Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground (New York, N.Y.)

Howard University. Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

New York (N.Y.). Mayor's Committee on the African Burial Ground.

New York (N.Y.). Landmarks Preservation Commission.

United States. General Services Administration.

Research Call Number

Sc MG 566