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Call number
Sc MG 566
Physical description
3.2 linear feet (9 archival boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
[Item], African Burial Ground Committee files, Sc MG 566, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The African Burial Ground Committee Files (1991-1994) collection consists of administrative records kept by Howard Dodson, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. These documents relate to his work as chairman of the Federal Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground in New York City. The majority of the collection consists of administrative records created or used by the Federal Steering Committee, including meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports and transcripts.

Biographical/historical information

In 1991, skeletal remains from the 18th century were discovered in the course of excavation for a new federal office building in Lower Manhattan. The investigation eventually revealed more than 400 intact graves belonging to free and enslaved African and African-American men, women and children. It was determined that the boundaries of the burial ground, originally called the Negro Burial Ground, encompassed a 6.6 acre piece of land in area bounded by present day Broadway, Elk, Duane and Reade Streets.

The discovery of these African and African American remains concerned stakeholders at the city, state, federal and community level. Mayor David Dinkins convened a committee to advise on the issues. In 1992, after the federal government took control of the project, the Mayor's Committee on the African Burial Ground was dismantled and a Federal Steering Committee was formed for the purposes of "advising the Administrator of General Services and the Congress in determining the present and future activities affecting the pavilion portion of the Federal construction site," including review of proposals regarding the human remains, issues of analysis and reinterment of the remains, and construction of a memorial and other educational and artistic additions to the site. The activities of the Steering Committee intersected with many and varied organizations and individuals at the local, city, state and federal level. On several issues, for example, the movement and study of the remains found at the burial ground site, there was a great deal of controversy among these various groups, which was documented in the transcripts of the Federal Steering Committee's meetings, in the related correspondence and in the press of the day.

During the period from 1992-1994, the Federal Steering Committee and its attendant subcommittees discharged the duties outlined above. They produced reports, held regularly scheduled meetings that were open to community commentary, and corresponded with the other major stakeholders in the project. As chair of the committee, Dodson received and reviewed the documents produced in all of these interactions, as well as kept files for his own reference and research on subjects relating to the African Burial Ground.

The Federal Steering Committee was scheduled to be disbanded in September of 1994. Prior to that date, Dodson submitted a letter on behalf of the committee requesting an extension of their term, an additional two years. The minutes of their July 17, 1994 meeting reflect that this request was denied. Although members of the committee were extremely unsatisfied with that outcome, and vowed to continue their work, the committee's work did conclude and the records of the Federal Steering Committee cease soon after that date.

Scope and arrangement

The African Burial Ground Committee Files (1991-1994) collection consists of administrative records kept by Howard Dodson, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. These documents relate to his work as chairman of the Federal Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground in New York City. The majority of the collection consists of administrative records created or used by the Federal Steering Committee, including meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports and transcripts.

The African Burial Ground Committee files are arranged in eight series:

  • Committees

    One of the most extensive in the collection, this series consists of materials created by committees that met to address the development of the African Burial Ground site. Subseries include the Mayor's Burial Ground Committee; the Federal Steering Committee; Federal Steering Subcommittees; the U.S. House of Representatives; Committee on Public Land Use; and other committees. Each subseries contains minutes, agendas and reports for the years 1991-1994.

  • Correspondence and memoranda

    In addition to the correspondence he generated and received as Chairman of the Federal Steering Committee, Dodson received copies of many other communications regarding the activity at the African Burial Ground. This series is organized into subseries by the creator of the correspondence to best capture the diversity of voices vying to be heard on these issues. Subseries include: Howard Dodson; Federal Steering Committee; General Services Administration; Landmarks Commission, City of New York; Howard University; Lehman College; and other.

  • Reports

    In addition to the reports of committee activities that are included in the Committee series, the work of the Federal Steering Committee included contributing to a final advisory report to the U.S. Congress. This work also included the review of many advisory and research reports in the course of their education on the scientific, archeological and planning details that impacted this endeavor. These reports are organized into subseries by creator and arranged chronologically within each subseries: Federal Steering Committee; General Services Administration; responses to General Services Administration research design; Howard University; Landmarks Commission; and other (arranged alphabetically by issuer).

  • Contracts of the General Services Administration

    The many parties involved with the project entered into specific, contractually bound agreements regarding the scope and duration of each of their projects, from Howard University's treatment and analysis of the remains to Linpro's construction on the site. Since the entire project was under the jurisdiction of the General Services Administration, the GSA served as the issuer of all of these contracts. The contracts are arranged chronologically within this series.

  • Public art and events

    Public involvement was of paramount concern to the members of the Federal Steering Committee. Aside from community involvement in planning meetings and less formal discussions and correspondence, there were also design competitions open to the public to create artwork for the site. Other projects were necessary in engaging the public and guiding them through the experience of the site, such as a documentary film chronicling the discovery and development of the site. This series consists of proposals, correspondence, and other collateral materials relating to these competitions and submissions. The series is divided into the following subseries and organized chronologically within each: Design Competition administration; Design Competition submissions; other public art and signage; documentary film; and ceremonies.

  • Media files

    Due to the unique nature of the African Burial Ground, and its significance in New York and American history, many news outlets covered the discovery and progress of this site. The articles included here are both from large traditional news outlets like The New York Times, and smaller, more specialized news outlets that served specific communities, such as African American Archeology, a newsletter specifically for and by African-American archeologists. This series is separated into subseries by format and arranged chronologically within the following subseries: articles; press releases and public notices; and other publications.

  • Reference files

    Among the records relating to the African Burial Ground, Dodson kept files of articles, excerpts, and timelines that clearly relate to the history of the site itself, the history of Africans in New York, and the history of the project and committee in which he himself participated. These files have been organized into subseries by subject, and are arranged alphabetically by author within these subseries: black history in New York City; burial and disinterment; history of African Burial Ground Project; city law and procedure; and federal law and procedure.

  • Architectural drawings

    This series consists of architectural drawings of the federal office building site and the African Burial Ground excavation site, organized chronologically.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift, Howard Dodson, 1994

Processing information

Processed by Rose Yndigoyen, Intern, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Queens College, CUNY, in 2009.

Using the collection

Location

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor

Conditions Governing Use

All requests subject to limitations noted in divisional policies on reproduction