Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations
The Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations, chaired by Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams, held an oversight hearing on commemorating and honoring burial sites of formerly enslaved African Americans, and discussed Intro 220 (sponsored by Council Members Hanks and Joseph) requiring the City to identify, list, map, and educate the public about such burial sites. The committee also heard resolutions honoring the Feast of San Gennaro/Ferragosto (Res. 82), Kappa Alpha Psi Day (Res. 424), Willie Colón (Res. 440), and Maria Antonia “Tati” Day (Res. 450). An expert archaeology panel strongly supported the bill while recommending the Landmarks Preservation Commission lead implementation and broader protection of African-diaspora cemeteries; the Department of Cultural Affairs testified it supports the goal but lacks the expertise to administer the bill. No votes were taken during the hearing.
0:09 Thank you. Good afternoon
0:09 .welcome to st New York City
0:10 council hearing for the
0:11 committee on cultural fears,
0:13 libraries and international
0:15 intergroup relations, pleas
0:16 escience all self electronic
0:18 devices and friendly reminder
0:19 do not approach two days. We
0:20 to begin. Thank you so much
8:13 for your patients. We were
8:15 just waiting for some people
8:18 to come so good afternoon
8:19 again. I am deputy speaker
8:21 nancy sasha Williams, chair of
8:22 the committee on cultural
8:24 afirs,fa libraries and
8:26 international relations.
8:27 Welcome to our oversight
8:28 hearing on commemorating and
8:31 honoring burial site formerly
8:33 enslaved african americans.
8:36 In addition to our oversight
8:37 topic today we will be hearing
8:38 the following legislation
8:42 . Intro number 2 2 2
8:42 0sponsored by a Council Member
8:44 Hanks and Rita Joseph in
8:46 relation to the identification
8:48 of formerly enslaved african
8:49 american burial sites,
8:51 resolution 82, sponsored by
8:53 council. Freddie is
8:54 celebrating the feast of san
8:56 genero and the for agusto
8:58 festival annually in September
9:00 2 honor the contributions of
9:01 italian immigrants in italian
9:03 americans to the cultural,
9:04 political and economic fabri
9:04 cof the City of New yor
9:07 kresolution number 4 24 sponsor
9:08 by a council, Kevin Riley
9:10 declaring June 5 as kappa
9:12 alpha side day in the City of
9:14 New York to recognize the
9:15 fraternity longstanding
9:16 tradition of fostering
9:18 brotherhood
9:19 . Academic achievement,
9:19 leadership, development and
9:21 community service resolution
9:24 for 40 also sponsored by
9:25 Council Member, 50, is
9:26 declaring April 2028 as bully
9:28 conde in the City of New York
9:30 New York City pioneer of latin
9:38 music and a beloved salsa
9:41 legend
9:42 . As well as the following
9:43 legislation that I have
9:45 sponsored resolution for 5
9:47 0declaring made tenth as maria
9:49 antonia k day in the City of
9:50 New York to honor her enduring
9:51 role of supporting and
9:52 celebrating the puerto rican
9:54 community and in preserving an
9:56 uplifting it's rich cultural
9:56 heritage and traditions. First
9:59 , let me invite Council Member
10:01 and Council Member Joseph t
10:03 speak about their bill
10:05 majority that pink's thank you
10:11 , deputy speaker dr Williams
10:14 and thank you for everyon
10:15 eelse for joining us today for
10:19 today's hearing intro to 20
10:21 this legislation is deeply
10:24 personal, historicall
10:25 ynecessary and long overdue
10:27 across New York City african
10:29 burial grounds connected to
10:30 formally enslaved black New
10:32 yorkers have too often been
10:33 erased, neglected or forgotten
10:36 . These are not simply burial
10:37 sites they are sacred places
10:39 tied to families and let me be
10:40 clear. This is not black
10:43 history. This is american
10:45 history. The formerly enslaved
10:46 men, women and children buried
10:47 in these grounds helped build
10:49 this country under imaginable
10:54 unimaginable conditions. They
10:54 deserve dignity and
10:55 recognition as the
10:56 representative of staten
10:57 island's north shore. The
10:59 issue is especially meaningful
11:01 to me from Sandy ground, the
11:02 oldest black settlement on the
11:04 east coast to the former
11:06 cherry lane cemetery, cemetery
11:08 burial place of benjamin prime
11:11 , recognized as the last
11:14 person born into slavery on
11:17 staten island, now paved over
11:18 as a strip mall this City
11:21 carries an important african
11:22 american history that must be
11:24 preserved. The painful reality
11:25 that burial grounds connected
11:27 to african americans were
11:28 simply paved over and
11:29 forgotten makes it very clear
11:31 by this legislation matters. I
11:35 want to thank the scholars,
11:35 the historians, the
11:37 archaeologist and preservation
11:38 advocates doing the important
11:39 work of ensuring these stories
11:41 and the people connected t
11:42 othem are never forgotten. I
11:45 want to recognize dr elizabeth
11:46 mead of the professional
11:47 archaeologists of New York
11:48 City, heather quinlan, who is
11:50 here today to testify
11:52 ,president of the northeast
11:54 corridor freedom network and
11:55 the many individuals committed
11:58 to preserving this history t
12:01 o20 is about recognition
12:03 ,education, accountability and
12:04 the preservation of those
12:07 sacred spaces for futur
12:09 egenerations. Our history
12:10 cannot be paved over. I want
12:12 to thank my co sponsor
12:13 councilmember Rita Joseph for
12:16 joining me and you're in this
12:17 important work. Thank you very
12:18 much to this committee. Thank
12:20 you very much share, dr
12:22 Williams and thank you,
12:24 everyone who's helping sign on
12:26 to this important legislation.
12:31 Thank you. And before
12:32 councilmember Joseph goals. I
12:33 also just wanted to add that
12:36 this hearing was because of
12:38 her advocacy to make sure that
12:41 we were talking about african
12:42 american burial sites. I just
12:43 want to thank her for her
12:47 advocacy. Thank you. Chair.
12:49 Good afternoon. Thank you,
12:50 deputy speaker Williams for
12:51 your leadership in holding
12:52 this important hearing today
12:55 burial grounds represent an
12:55 important part of
12:56 acknowledgement and
12:57 remembrance of City of the
12:59 city's history in 20 21, the
13:02 City producing a report that
13:03 included historical in
13:05 archaeology research right at
13:07 europe, the land that flatbush
13:10 african burial ground in the
13:11 bedford avenue church site
13:14 occupied was inhabited by
13:15 canarsie, a band of muncie
13:17 speaking. Lana len nap pay who
13:18 ? Our ancestors of today's
13:20 delaware nation delaware tribe
13:22 of indians, stockbridge muncie
13:24 community band of mohicans and
13:26 the shines cock nation in 180
13:29 0between 70 and 80%f al ol
13:32 flatbush families enslaved at
13:32 least one person when enslaved
13:35 people in flatbush, died, most
13:36 were permitted to be buried in
13:38 the cemetery of flatbush
13:39 reformed church, which was
13:40 founded in 1654 and was the
13:43 only church in flatbush for
13:44 long, long period at an
13:45 unknown time as early as the
13:48 seventeenth century after the
13:49 dutch arrive a separate burial
13:50 ground for people of african
13:53 . Ancestry was established on
13:53 the land of flatbush reform
13:56 church owned at what is now
13:58 the intersect action of church
13:59 church in bedford avenue
14:01 historical document
14:02 established that it was used
14:03 for New burials to at least 1
14:06 810 and possibly through 18 40.
14:08 Now, more than ever. We have
14:09 the responsibility to preserve
14:11 every oh ground City focusing
14:14 on three important pillars
14:15 importance of burial grounds
14:17 important of preservation and
14:20 ensuring council continues
14:20 oversight. Thank you
14:26 , thank you, counsel. Remember
14:27 Joseph and majority with
14:29 hank's let me just say a few
14:31 words about my resolution,
14:32 which celebrates the work of
14:33 maria antonia k. Finally known
14:35 to everyone as Ty. Bonorn in
14:38 puerto rico. She came to New
14:39 York City as a teenager and
14:40 began working as a factory
14:43 fortress while designing,
14:44 making and selling justice
14:45 through her own home based
14:46 business. Eventually, she was
14:47 able to buy the building where
14:49 she lived and still lives on
14:51 the south side of williamsburg
14:53 and in 19 73 she incorporated
14:56 a caribbean baseball team and
14:58 her now famous caribbean
15:01 social club, popularly known
15:02 as tonita says her club has
15:03 long served as the social and
15:05 cultural center for the latino
15:06 residents of her neighborhood
15:08 and a for those from outside
15:10 the neighborhood like bad
15:13 money, you might have seen her
15:14 featured in her friend's 20 2
15:16 6super bowl halftime show when
15:17 she brought a bit of brooklyn.
15:19 Too bad bunnies tribute t
15:20 otheir beloved mutual puerto
15:21 rican culture and heritage.
15:23 Tonita is truly one of a
15:26 kind. Now, let me say a few
15:27 words about my colleague,
15:28 Council Member resolution
15:29 declaring June January 5 a
15:31 skappa alpha side day in New
15:32 York City over the past
15:34 several years, the council has
15:35 passed resolutions celebrating
15:36 the work of the national
15:38 panhellenic council, which is
15:40 a coordinating body of black
15:41 greek letter organizations of
15:43 college educated women and men
15:45 committed to community
15:46 awareness and action through
15:48 educational, economic and
15:49 cultural service activities.
15:52 The four sororities in the
15:53 five fraternities that make up
15:55 the national panhellenic
15:56 council or affectionately
15:57 known as the divine nine so
16:00 far the council has recognized
16:01 the work of three of the
16:02 sororities, all of which have
16:04 City Council members as
16:05 members does his signature
16:06 ta, which is my sorority and
16:08 which I'm very proud to be a
16:10 member of sigma gamma rho
16:12 ,which is confident Joseph
16:13 sorority, in which she is
16:14 equally proud, I'm sure to b
16:15 ea member of an alpha kappa
16:18 alpha, which as many gnome, a
16:22 former speaker was a a well as
16:24 countless rare radius
16:26 . However, kappa alpha psy is
16:27 the first paternity we have
16:30 recognized, not surprisingly
16:31 ,Council Member reilly is a
16:32 proud member, so four down,
16:35 topic. In addition to thefew
16:39 african burial ground national
16:42 monument, the federally
16:43 operated visitors a censor
16:45 with exhibitions and outside
16:46 memorial located on borrowing
16:47 your City Hall burial sites of
16:50 formerly enslaved african
16:51 americans have been found
16:52 throughout New York.
16:53 City. They include the old
16:54 town of flushing burial groun
16:58 d. Flatbush african burial
17:00 ground. Parliament.
17:01 African burial ground.
17:02 Inward african burial ground
17:04 hunts point slave burial
17:05 ground, cherry lane cemetery
17:07 in staten island in the sight
17:08 of the brooklyn public
17:10 libraries, New lots library,
17:11 each.
17:12 Of these sites have long
17:14 histories, sometimes dating t
17:16 obefore the civil war and
17:17 sometimes dating to before the
17:21 revolutionary war
17:21 . Each of these histories is
17:22 worth telling, remembering and
17:24 preserving and without
17:26 thoughtful and intentional
17:28 preservation. These important
17:29 sites risk being neglected,
17:31 forgotten or even destroyed as
17:32 the City continues to change,
17:33 wrote and develop. We look
17:37 forward to learning more about
17:38 some of these histories in
17:41 this hearing. We also look
17:42 forward to discussing how to
17:44 preserve them the bill of that
17:45 council members hank stern.
17:46 Joseph introduced will support
17:47 New efforts to find document,
17:49 educate the public about these
17:50 and other bureau burial sites
17:52 of formerly enslaved african
17:54 americans still waiting to be
17:57 rediscovered
17:57 . I will now pause because I
17:58 know Council Member Banks has
18:00 one of this one of these sites
18:01 in his district and wanted t
18:03 oshare a few
18:03 . Words. Thank you, Madam
18:08 deputy speaker a good
18:09 afternoon. I speak today in
18:11 support of intro 20 20
18:14 legislation when it acted,
18:15 which will require department
18:16 of culture and fears to
18:18 maintain a list of all known
18:22 burial sites of formally
18:24 enslaved african african
18:28 americans citywide.
18:28 In addition to also
18:29 developing an implement
18:30 implementing a plan to locat
18:33 eany currently unmarked burial
18:35 sites for formerly enslaved
18:36 african american City wide
18:38 this bill will also require it
18:42 to notify and elected
18:43 officials when a burial site
18:45 has been located in their
18:46 district. In addition to
18:48 developing and educational
18:49 campaign to inform the City
18:52 residents about these sites
18:54 while additionally creating
18:56 and maintaining an interactive
18:57 map of the burial sites on the
18:59 clock web site for my distric
19:03 t. This is not only practical,
19:06 but it's personal. The New
19:07 lots of branch of the brooklyn
19:09 public library in east New
19:10 York in the east New York
19:12 district of a second counsel
19:15 district, which I represent I
19:17 s
19:17 . Currently undergoing a
19:18 multimillion dollar renovatio
19:22 n, but this project is not
19:23 simply the rebuilding of the
19:25 library building. But it's a
19:26 it's a building that will
19:28 continue to serve as a
19:31 transformational
19:31 representation of education
19:32 and culture of east New York
19:34 and the surrounding
19:35 . Community as one of the
19:37 largest libraries and the
19:39 brooklyn public library system
19:40 . The New last library has for
19:43 decades been a central
19:44 resource for senior students,
19:46 parents, immigrants, job
19:49 seekers and lifelong learners
19:50 in the 42 council district and
19:53 for many residents this
19:54 library serves as a safe space
19:57 , a classroom gathering place
19:59 and aatew gay for unending
20:03 possibilities. What? What many
20:04 not know is that this library
20:08 on what is considered by many
20:10 to be hollow ground, a former
20:13 burial ground for enslaved
20:15 african americans and their
20:18 ancestors preservation and
20:20 ensuring care and dignity for
20:21 the for the handling of these
20:23 sites, such as the burial
20:26 grounds under and around the
20:29 New library branch must be the
20:32 utmost importance for this and
20:34 every other such sign across
20:35 the City and east New York, a
20:38 community that is made up of
20:39 majority black and brown
20:42 residents.
20:43 Telling the stories of our
20:44 ancestors is not only
20:45 important is essential. The
20:48 streets of east New York pay
20:49 homage to many former slave
20:51 owners and that is not our
20:53 story. I want to see that's
20:56 not the story I want to see
20:58 for this district a
20:59 . District, which has often
21:02 been undeserved, undeserved
21:03 and where the media's often
21:05 quick to focus on negative
21:07 stories when we must educate
21:09 the community on where they
21:10 come from and the importance
21:12 of the contributions of the
21:14 . Ancestors. We must also
21:15 recognized a deeper truth that
21:19 below this sacred ground lies
21:21 .the remains are free and
21:24 enslaved african people from
21:26 the revolutionary era
21:29 individuals whose lives
21:30 struggles and contributions
21:31 were too often overlooked and
21:35 left untold their presence
21:35 calls us to act would care,
21:38 respect and purpose.
21:40 Preserving this burial