african Burial Ground Secures Funding for Preservation
The African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City,the final resting place of an estimated 15,000 free and enslaved Africans,has secured a crucial lifeline for its preservation. A new agreement allows the site to accept public donations, addressing critical maintenance and safety concerns that have plagued the historic landmark.
Parts of the monument, located at 290 Broadway, have been temporarily closed due to a shortfall in federal funding and resulting safety issues. This new initiative, facilitated by the efforts of Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who helped secure nonprofit status for the site, will allow for much-needed repairs and upkeep.
“This change will help ‘protect and preserve this sacred national legacy’,” stated rodney Leon, president of the African Burial Ground Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the monument. The agreement was announced on Thursday.
The National Park Service designates the burial ground as “the nation’s earliest and largest African burial ground rediscovered in the United states,” a site active from the 1630s to 1795. Its rediscovery during excavations in Lower Manhattan in the early 1990s brought this poignant piece of American history to light.
However, the National Park Service reports that the Ancestral Chamber, Ancestral Libation Court, and Spiral Processional Ramp are currently closed due to safety concerns. “The Ancestral Chamber is showing signs of stress and must be assessed prior to reopening,” the NPS website explains. “multiple hairline fractures along the foundation and the apparent shift of some materials have given park officials cause for concern.”
Representative Goldman, whose district includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, emphasized the site’s profound ancient significance. He called it “one of the most historically crucial monuments to Black History in New York,” and pledged continued support to “preserve the history of free and enslaved Africans in New York.”
Leon, in an earlier interview with the Tribeca citizen, highlighted the ongoing funding challenges. He stated, “I am hoping to accelerate efforts for repair and maintenance.It is a challenge, especially with changes in administration and funding priorities at the national Park Service. The superintendent is now in charge of nine or 10 sites. And we are competing with places like the Statue of Liberty.”
This new fundraising avenue offers a beacon of hope for the future of the African Burial Ground National monument, ensuring that this vital piece of American history remains accessible and preserved for generations to come.