ABOUT | African Burials in New York >> The City Expands >> A Community Reacts
HISTORY | History of Inwood >> Skeletons in Chains? >> March 1903 Excavations
TODAY | A Museum Gets Involved >> New Development Seeks Justice >> Get Involved

NEW DEVELOPMENT SEEKS JUSTICE

The Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) is a provider for homeless housing and services in New York City. They recently purchased 3966 Tenth Avenue as a future site for a homeless shelter. This site is currently an auto shop that sits along Tenth Avenue between 211th and 212th streets above the Inwood African burial site.

After learning about the site’s history, they stopped development activity and created AGISS, the Advisory Group for the Inwood Sacred Site. Throughout late 2020 and early 2021, BRC has held meetings with AGISS as well as public community conversations to learn about the community’s needs. 

In April of 2021, AGISS held a discussion forum with the public discussing the archaeological excavation plans for the site. Goals involved with the process included pre-blessings and ceremonies of the site before excavations, filling in historical gaps from excavation findings, and assuring a minimal site disturbance and various plans for burial assessment and removal if needed.

The initial ceremony was held on site and took place May 2nd, 2021. The archaeological excavation occurred over the following five days. To this date, the findings have yet to be made public.

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