New York, NY \u2013 City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
\njoined fellow Council Members today at City Hall to call on Mayor de Blasio to
\ndesignate the Weeksville Heritage Center \u2013 a Brooklyn landmark and museum that
\ncelebrates the history of one of America\u2019s first communities for free blacks \u2013
\nas part of a group of institutions protected by the city\u2019s Department of Cultural
\nAffairs. By adding this Crown Heights jewel to the city\u2019s Cultural Institutions
\nGroup, Weeksville will get regular funding and maintenance.<\/p>\n
The Weeksville Heritage Center was home to hundreds of
\nfree African Americans before the Civil War. They settled after New York
\nabolished slavery. This center, which oversees a 23,000-square-foot visitor
\nfacility and maintains the historic Hunterfly Road Houses, is in danger of
\nclosing without proper funding. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Weeksville Heritage Center is a New York treasure that honors African American history. It is a powerful reminder of a time when New “This rally is not about what the City HASN\u2019T \u201cWeeksville is sacred African American ground. For \u201cThe Weeksville Heritage Center is an important \u201cFew institutions have been as impactful in preserving About Weeksville Heritage Weeksville Heritage Center is a Our mission is to document, preserve and ###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New York, NY \u2013 City Council Speaker Corey Johnson …<\/p>\n
\nYork City was a safe haven for those who escaped slavery and were eager to
\nstart a free life. We are so fortunate that this site was not only preserved,
\nbut developed into a facility for everyone to learn more about the early
\ncommunities owned by freed blacks. This Crown Heights jewel should not have to
\ncrowdfund to stay afloat. The mayor needs to add it to the umbrella of
\norganizations directly supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs so
\nWeeksville Heritage Center is guaranteed funding and maintenance annually,\u201d
\nsaid City Council Speaker Corey Johnson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\ndone for Weeksville. In fact, we\u2019re grateful for all the funding, expertise
\nand other resources we\u2019ve received from the city over the years, in
\nparticularly the Department of Cultural Affairs. And I especially want to
\nshout out Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl for his continued leadership and
\nsupport. No, this event is about putting in place a key element that will
\nhelp ensure Weeksville’s long-term sustainability. We believe that our
\ninclusion in the CIG would say to the world that the City sees Weeksville as a
\ncrucial part of NYC and American history, that it is a vital member of the
\ncity\u2019s cultural landscape, and it is worth preserving and protecting.
\nThat\u2019s why we want to take our relationship to the next level and become a
\npermanent line item in the budget of the City of New York,\u201d said Rob Fields,
\npresident & executive director of Weeksville Heritage Center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\ngenerations it served as a beacon of hope for those seeking refuge from the
\nvestiges of slavery. Supporting Weeksville as a Cultural Institutions Group
\n(CIG) is a recognition of African American longevity and a commitment from the
\ncity writ large,\u201d said Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nlandmark for African American history in our city and our country. Weeksville,
\nBrooklyn was one of America\u2019s largest free black communities prior to the Civil
\nWar and the abolition of slavery. It would be a travesty if this black cultural
\ninstitution was forced to close. I strongly support designating Weeksville
\nHeritage Center as a Cultural Institutions Group to ensure its rich history and
\nculture are forever preserved,\u201d said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Chair
\nof the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nand promoting the art, culture, and history of black culture in our country as
\nthe Weeksville Heritage Center. Understanding the center\u2019s importance to our
\ncity, my colleagues and I felt it was necessary to call on the City to
\nprioritize the preservation of this center with the resources befitting its
\ncontributions to our city\u2019s identity,\u201d said Council Member Robert E.
\nCornegy, Jr<\/strong>. <\/p>\n
\nCenter<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nmultidisciplinary museum dedicated to preserving the history of the 19th
\ncentury African American community of Weeksville, Brooklyn – one of America\u2019s
\nmany free black communities. <\/p>\n
\ninterpret the history of free African American communities in Weeksville,
\nBrooklyn and beyond and to create and inspire innovative, contemporary uses of
\nAfrican American history through education, the arts, and civic engagement.
\nUsing a contemporary lens, we activate this unique history through the
\npresentation of innovative, vanguard and experimental programs.<\/p>\n
\njoined fellow Council Members today at City Hall to call on Mayor de Blasio to
\ndesignate the Weeksville Heritage Center \u2013 a Brooklyn landmark and museum that
\ncelebrates the history of one of America\u2019s first communities for free blacks \u2013
\nas part of a group of institutions protected by the city\u2019s Department of Cultural
\nAffairs.<\/p>\n