Laura Catalina Rodríguez is a first semester student at Brooklyn College and she, like other students, is part of an internship with the Flatbush Coalition for African Burials.
The organization seeks to preserve the history and memory of the slaves who lived in that area of Brooklyn and who were buried in common graves from the years 1700 to 1827.
“They could not be buried anywhere and they were buried in specific places, this is one of the points that we have found, doing research throughout the city of New York,” Rodríguez said. “There are many places where there are people buried and for research reasons what is on that land is not studied, buildings are built and we do not know what is there.”
As anthropology and sociology students, together with the coalition, they have created a tour to learn about this burial site and the history of Africans like Isaac, who was sold for $250 to a Dutch master.
“His story is one of many of slaves who fled during their slavery at the risk of losing their lives,” said Shanna Sabio of the Flatbush African Burials Coalition. “Just yards from here on Flatbush Avenue was the punishment stick, where Africans were flogged if they misbehaved.”
Despite having only been in New York for a year, Colombian Laura Catalina has managed with her intellect to be part of a research group to maintain and publicize the history of this Brooklyn neighborhood.
“We battle and we fight so that first of all the Afro-descendant communities can have reparation first of all, they can continue with their well-being and post-trauma process because they have dealt with a historic struggle,” added Catalina.
Rodríguez.
The CUNY chancellor also toured these places of African history.
“I am very happy with this initiative, seeing them participating, being part of this story, hearing why they were motivated to participate, and thinking that this experience marks them in some way,” said Foreign Minister Felix Matos Rodríguez.
“Basically my time here is temporary, but by joining this community work and I live in Brooklyn, I feel like I’m going to be here for much longer,” Catalina concluded.