African Burial Ground & Its Discovery
Wednesday, March 4th, 12:45 p.m.
Does Historic Preservation Matter – Manhattan to Houston?
Speaker and short film with Christopher Moore, the journalist who, despite the effort to suppress it, broke the story and later produced a film for the History Channel that tells about the 1991 discovery – under what is today some of the most expensive real estate in the world – of the vast (more than 20,000 remains) burial ground used by the Africans – most of them slaves – in the 1600’s through the 18th century in downtown Manhattan – New York City.
A host of questions, both logistical and ethical, followed this discovery during the excavations for construction of a federal office building. How does one properly handle heritage and who ‘owns’ history? Could a burial ground containing more than 20,000 remains be simply forgotten? Does knowledge that can be gained justify the excavation of a burial site?
This dramatic discovery set off a major political firestorm pitting citizens concerned with the history and heritage represented in burial ground against the U.S. Government which initially planned to destroy the cemetery. Excavation of the vast slave burial ground allowed scholars a chance to learn from the large number of remains – both about the Africans and the society in which they lived. Ultimately, the process led to the creation of the first, and only, National Monument honoring the contributions of slaves to the building of America.
Thanks to the Houston Society of Archaeological Institute of America, Northwest College has the opportunity to host Mr. Christopher Moore. He will tell the story of the African Burial Ground discovery, reflect on what became a “cause celebre” in the African American Community and in American anthropology
Dr. Michael Botson, professor of history at Northwest College, will introduce our speaker and reflect on sites of historical significance for the African American presence in Texas.