A historic cemetery for African Americans in Kingston, New York, is being reclaimed as the Pine Street African Burial Ground. People denied church burials were interred in the cemetery for more than 120 years until the late 19th century. As this upstate city by the Hudson River grew, the cemetery was first covered over by a lumberyard.
Students working at the site of an African burial ground, backfilling a hole they had dug, in Kingston , N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. A tombstone bearing the name of Caezer Smith and dated 1839 is displayed on the site of a recently rediscovered African burial ground in Kingston , N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. A student holds up what is likely a coffin nail found at an ongoing excavation at the site of an African burial ground in Kingston , N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.
Advocates in this Hudson River city purchased a residential property covering about half the old cemetery several years ago and now use the house there as a visitor center. Money is being raised to turn the urban backyard into a respectful resting place. And while the names of people buried here may be lost, tests are planned on their remains to shed light on their lives and identify their descendants.
Students from the State University of New York at New Paltz recently finished a third summer of supervised backyard excavations in this city 80 miles upriver from Manhattan. The students get course credit, though anthropology major Maddy Thomas said there’s an overriding sense of mission. The only intact headstone recovered with a name visible was for Caezar Smith, who was born enslaved and died a free man in 1839 at age 41. A researcher mined historical records and came up with two more people potentially buried there in 1803: a man identified as Sam and a 16-year-old girl named Deyon who wasThe cemetery was at first covered by a lumberyard by 1880, even though some gravestones were apparently still standing by that date.
“The conversation begins and then I go, ‘Well, let me show you what I found.’ Of course, they were amazed,” said Kirschner, who had owned the building next to the current Harambee property.
Philanthropy Funerals And Memorial Services General News NYC State Wire Black People Race And Ethnicity A Kingston U.S. News N U.S. News Race And Ethnicity
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The New York Times says it will stop endorsing candidates in New York electionsThe New York Times editorial board will stop endorsing candidates in New York elections. The head of opinion at The New York Times announced the decision in a statement on Monday. The statement did not give a reason for the decision but the board plans to continue offering perspective on the races, candidates and issues.
Read more »
The New York Times says it will stop endorsing candidates in New York electionsNEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times editorial board will stop endorsing candidates in New York elections, the paper's opinion editor said Monday. The
Read more »
Maybelline New York Is the TCS New York City Marathon’s First Cosmetics PartnerThe Maybelline-New York City Marathon partnership will encompass Maybelline's own running team, as well as a dedicated cheer zone and an expo booth.
Read more »
New York Giants at New York Jets NFL preseason Week 3: FREE live stream, time, channelThe New York Jets are considered the home team Saturday night in an all-New York battle with the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Read more »
Stock Report from New York Giants Preseason Finale vs New York JetsWho helped themselves and who didn't in the Giants preseason finale against the Jets on Saturday night?
Read more »
New York City, New York (US) job with Weill Cornell Medical CollegeA postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Dilek Colak through the Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, NY. Project: Modeling Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using stem cell-derived brain organoids and genetically modified mouse models.
Read more »