Juneteenth Celebration

VAN CORTLANDT PARK CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH BY HOSTING THE

Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff

On Saturday, June 19, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance hosted an event to commemorate Juneteenth National Independence Day declared a federal holiday only two days prior to the celebration. The morning consisted of the consecration of a location in the park determined to be the site of an African Burial Ground with a Libation Ceremony presided over by Chief Baba Neil Clarke, accompanied by Khuent Rose on the steelpan.

The day’s program included remarks from elected officials and community leaders as well as entertainmnt such as African drumming performed by Yahaya Kamate; the singing of Lift Every Voice and Ain’t That Good News, traditional Negro spiritual songs sung by Beverly FlemingCamejo; The reading of a poem written by Carole Boston Weatherford Freedom Fighter by Ashley Hart Adams, accompanied by bassoonist Kika Wright; and Judith Insell, Executive Director of The Bronx Arts Ensemble, performed another

By Stephanie Ehrlich

tradition Negro spiritual, I Want Jesus to Walk With Me, on viola.

The Enslaved African Legacy in Van

Cortlandt Park Project is a combined effort, led by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance in concert with Van Cortlandt House Museum and Kingsbridge Historical Society, and in partnership with NYC Parks. The group works with the Enslaved People Project Task Force Steering Committee made up of residents, activists and historians. The Bronx was Lenape land up until the 17th century. As colonists took over New York and slavery became the main economic driver in the state, the area now known as Van Cortlandt Park became a plantation. The prominent Van Yahaya Kamate Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff

Ashley Hart Adams & Kika Wright Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff

Cortlandt family were slavers and their wealth depended on the backbreaking work of enslaved Africans. The land was a provisioning plantation, growing wheat and milling it to be sent to the West Indies, where the more lucrative sugarcane crops grew. For nearly 200 years, enslaved people worked this land. The Parade Ground, now known for cricket and baseball, had been a planting field, tended by enslaved people; evidence points to their having built Van Cortlandt House, the lake, the mill dam, and the colonial road that traverses the park (its stone wall remnants are still visible today).

In 2019, a ground penetrating radar study conducted by the USDA discovered what is likely to be the outline of coffins underground in the park, adjacent to a confirmed colonialist burial ground. Additional anecdotal evidence and documentation gives credence to the belief that the area is an African Burial Ground.

In 2020, Van Cortlandt House Museum opened a room in the attic to visitation, believing the space to have been slave quarters, based on an architectural analysis in 1994. Despite an overwhelming amount of information and interest, there is no interpretation of this important history still visible in the park. Working together with

Judith Insell Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff NYC Parks, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and its partners are leading the charge to bring to light the history of the enslaved Black and Native American people who lived in and built the park and house. Moreover, the project aims to elevate the interpretation of this story to make Van Cortlandt Park a world-class destination for the study of Enslaved People in an urban park setting and combine this history and the park’s ecology to tell a story of environmental justice issues in our Bronx community.

Out of respect for the souls of the enslaved African people who worked the land, and in response to the community task force’s urgent request, the location was closed to foot and vehicular traffic early in 2021, the year marking the 200th anniversary of the freeing of the African slaves held by the Van Cortlandt family.

There are other initiatives being planned

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You can watch the ceremony in its entirety here.

for the project which include the installation of wayfinding and interpretive signage, creating a self-guided history trail for visitors. The renaming of the Van Cortlandt Lake to Hester & Piero’s Mill Pond in honor of Piero, the Miller and his wife. The plans also include the creation of a memorial to the memory of the Enslaved Africans who lived in and built the park and educational programming to teach the public about this important history. #

Stephanie Ehrlich is the Executive Director of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and the Park Administrator for NYC Parks.

DePrator, a member of the Enslaved People Project Task Force Steering Committee is moved by the Juneteenth ceremony. continued from page 3

his generation playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin, among other implements to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ’30s, the blues of Bessie Smith and Lonnie Johnson.” Free Virtual Concert

SAT, JUN 26 | 10 am - 1 pm BARTOW QUEST

Test your mettle during this indoor-outdoor challenge race/scavenger hunt throughout the grounds of Bartow-Pell. This event requires cleverness, agility, teamwork, and speed, so lace up your sneakers and brush up on your history for a chance to win BARTOW QUEST. Be the first team to complete all 14 challenges and you’ll not only have bragging rights, but your team will also receive a complimentary picnic on the lawn, a Friend Family level membership to the museum, and we’ll throw in $100 for good measure. This event is suitable for children ages 8 and up when accompanied by an adult. Teams MAY consist of two to five team members. Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum 895 Shore Road Pelham Bay Park| info@bpmm.org 718. 885.1461

SAT JUN 26 | 10:00 am – 11:00 am LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH: PRIDE BIRDING

Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month with the Urban Park Rangers. On this fun and inclusive adventure, we will enjoy a hike about all things birding, from color identification to conservation. All friends and allies are welcome. Free! Click here 242nd Street and Van Cortlandt Park East

SAT JUN 26 | 3 pm - 5 pm EXPLORING THE GRAND CONCOURSE, FROM ART DECO BUILDINGS TO YANKEE STADIUM

Did you know that the Bronx's Grand Concourse is home to the largest collection of art deco residential buildings in the world? Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the historic apartment buildings and mansions on the Grand Concourse, a thoroughfare through the Bronx modeled on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Led by Sam Goodman, a Bronx-born urban planner in the office of the Bronx Borough President, our unique experience between 161st & 166th Streets on the Grand Concourse | $32 | Pre-register

SAT, JUN 26 - 27, | 10 am - 1 pm FAMILY ART PROJECT: PETALS FOR OUR POLLINATORS

We thank the bees, bats, birds, moths, and butterflies for their work to help flowers reproduce. Use pressed petals that have naturally fallen from plants to create a landing pad for these generous beings. Then, use seeds and dirt to create a living sculpture of a pollinator you would like to honor to take home and plant. Native Pollinators Day event. Free with admission Wave Hill 4900 Independence Ave

SUN JUN 27 | 6 pm – 7 am FAMILY CAMPING: BRONX

The Urban Park Rangers celebrate the tradition of camping and we look forward to welcoming your family. Participants are chosen by lottery. Free! Orchard Beach Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park) Click here

SUN JUN 27 | 10 am - 5 pm NATIVE POLLINATORS DAY

Praise the pollinators! Celebrate National Pollinators Week and the tiny creatures who beautify our gardens and put food on our tables. Join a naturalist -led walk to see pollinators in action, plant a portable pollinator garden and make seed and petal sculptures in the Family Art Project. Garden Workshop requires registration and additional fee. FREE | Wave Hill 4900 Independence Ave

SUN, JUN 27 | 2 pm - 3:30 pm POLLINATOR CONTAINER GARDEN WORKSHOP

Pollinators seek out certain plants that provide rich sources of nectar or food for hungry caterpillars. In this workshop with Wave Hill Senior Horticultural Interpreter Jess Brey, learn about plants that support local pollinators while planting a container with pollinator-friendly plants. Perfect for a sunny terrace, deck, rooftop or backyard garden. Containers, potting mix, care instructions and a robust selection of plants provided. Native Pollinators Day event. $65, including admission to the grounds. Wave Hill Members save 10% | Register Wave Hill 4900 Independence Ave

WED, JUN 30 | 7 pm— 9 pm FREEDOMLAND USA: THE BRONX’S LONG - LOST “DISNEYLAND OF THE EAST” WEBINAR

In the 1950s, the former right-hand man to Walt Disney decided to start his own venture and create the "Disneyland of the East" in New York's northernmost borough — and after a few short years, he succeeded in building the largest and most expensive theme park on Planet Earth. But how could such a monumental project that was revered by its visitors, and meant to last for decades, go bankrupt only a few short years later? This is the story of Freedomland USA and the impactful legacy it left behind. Join New York Adventure Club as we travel back in time to explore the Freedomland USA fair — completed in 1960 in the Baychester area of the Bronx, this theme park — the world's largest at the time — featured over 40 thrill rides, shows, and live action attractions dedicated to American history. | Online Pre-register | $10