Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Van Cortlandt Park to Reimagine Enslaved African Burial Ground

 

Public programming in Summer 2025 and a Fall Design Ideas Competition will honor the past, present, and future through a permanent memorial

The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance (VCPA) announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space to reimagine the Enslaved African Burial Ground at Van Cortlandt Park. The initiative, "Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground at Van Cortlandt Park," will engage the community in shaping a memorial space dedicated to long-term healing, remembrance, and cultural reflection.  

  

The Enslaved People Project at Van Cortlandt Park uncovered historical evidence suggesting that enslaved individuals were likely interred along the eastern edge of the Kingsbridge Burial Ground. This site is believed to be the final resting place of the enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples who lived, worked, and died on the Van Cortlandt family plantation, which relied on their labor for over a century. While NYC Parks officially recognized the Enslaved African Burial Ground in 2021 with signage and fencing, the space remains largely unmarked. Community advocates have long called for greater recognition and meaningful commemoration of the site’s complex history. 

"This project represents Van Cortlandt Park Alliance's commitment to listening deeply to community voices and preserving histories that have been overlooked for generations," said Stephanie Ehrlich, Executive Director of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. "When we honor those who shaped this land through their labor and lives, we make Van Cortlandt Park truly inclusive and welcoming for all New Yorkers. This memorial will stand as testament to our shared belief that everyone's story matters in the ongoing narrative of our beloved park." 

 

Through a dynamic series of public programs in Summer 2025 and a design competition in the fall, the Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground at Van Cortlandt Park project will transform the site into a place of remembrance, reflection, education, and cultural engagement—honoring those who shaped the park while fostering collective healing.