Adams supports memorial at Flatbush African Burial Ground
By Tangerine Clarke
As the Flatbush African
Burial Ground Remembrance
and Redevelopment Task Force
(FABGRR) prepares to release
a final vision document with
recommendations for the site
at the corner of Church and
Bedford avenues in Brooklyn
this fall, co-chair, Borough
President Eric Adams, promptly
released a letter to the city
laying out his opposition to
develop the site in Flatbush,
Brooklyn that is known to be a
burial ground for enslaved Africans,
whose roles in the history
of the borough and the city are
still overlooked.
Along with Council Member
Mathieu Eugene, FABGRR was
convened in October 2020 to
solicit public input from the
community and other local
stakeholders on the future of
the site.
In a recent statement to the
press, Adams who was elected,
the next mayor of the city of
New York at the recent Nov. 2,
General Elections, in a letter
to current Mayor, Bill de Blasio
said that there is a pressing
need for open space in the
area, and encourages the city to
transfer the lot from New York
City Department of Housing
Preservation of Development
(HPD) or the New York City
Department of Parks and Recreation
Claim Advance Child Tax Credit Payments by November 15, 2021
Caribbean L 8 ife, NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021
(NYC Parks) to develop
it into a memorial with accompanying
open space, in order to
preserve the unique and sacred
heritage of the site.
“This year marks the
30th anniversary of the rediscovery
of the African Burial
Ground in downtown Manhattan,
a somber occasion that
should spark a larger conversation
about our city’s history and
what we owe to those who have
passed. That debate has been
renewed as we face a larger
reckoning in our country over
our enduring racial divide. As
we continue the fight to preserve
our history and recognize
the significant role enslaved
Africans played in shaping it, I
cannot support developing this
sacred site in Flatbush, an area
with a rich history stretching
back centuries,” said Mayorelect
Eric Adams.
“The residents of Flatbush
and the members of the Task
Force have expressed a clear
preference for the site to be
converted into a memorial with
an open space. I recognize, and
Members of the coalition weaving the fence. Corazon Valiente
I am sympathetic to, the pressing
need for affordable housing
in the area. But I believe we can
identify other sites in the area
that can help us meet the need,
while meeting an equally vital
need for open space in a community
that has long lacked
access to such spaces.”
“I am committed to working
with the city and community
members to ensure this place
becomes a site of learning and
reflection on our past, to pave
the way for a more just and
equitable future. The work of
the task force and the agencies
involved cannot be understated,
and I thank them all
for their guidance during this
process,” said Adams.
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