Work brings partners and resources together to recognize 200th anniversary of the end of slavery and 400th anniversary of first enslaved Africans’ arrival in New York
Traveling exhibits available for display by community organizations
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is working with partners across the state to share new research and resources that explore early Black history in New York as part of its Enslavement to Freedom: 1627-1827-2027 initiative.
In 2027, New York State will recognize the 200th anniversary of the end of legalized slavery in the state (1827) and the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans enslaved in the former New Netherland colony (1627). In anticipation of this significant commemorative year, OPRHP is implementing a multi-year interpretive initiative called Enslavement to Freedom: 1627-1827-2027. With Enslavement to Freedom, OPRHP and relevant state historic sites will develop exhibits, public programs, and other educational resources to explore New York's history with the institution of slavery and a pivotal period of transition for the Black community in early New York, which gives better context and understanding for later historic movements, like Abolition and the Underground Railroad.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser said, “Our work with the Enslavement to Freedom initiative is informing our interpretation at state historic sites and parks. It is also providing us with opportunities to partner with agencies and educational organizations to bring this interpretation into new spaces. We value the chance to collaborate on this work and to provide engaging and reliable Black history resources that spark curiosity and encourage discovery for people of all ages.”
To honor Black History Month, the Office of General Services (OGS) will debut two new OPRHP traveling banner exhibitions in the Concourse at the Empire State Plaza in Albany that highlight the ongoing work of OPRHP’s Enslavement to Freedom: 1627-1827-2027 initiative. The exhibitions on view this February include Another Face of War: Enslaved and Free Blacks in the Revolution and Many and Varied Hands: The Work and Labor of the Enslaved. They are part of a larger exhibition series that shares the latest research on Black history in New York’s Colonial and New Nation periods. In 2025, OGS hosted the first two traveling banner exhibits of the series, including Poisonous Seeds: The Dutch and the Institution of Slavery in New York and Redefining the Family: One Descendant’s Journey into History.
Launching last year as part of a special edition of New York Archives Jr! magazine, “Slavery and the Wheat Economy” is a free online and print educational resource available through ConsidertheSourceNY.org that was developed in collaboration with partners OPRHP, Schenectady County Historical Society (Mabee Farm Historic Site), and Historic Hudson Valley (Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills). The printed and online booklet explores how early New York’s wheat was grown and processed by enslaved persons and sold by their enslavers as a cash crop to feed thousands of enslaved people on sugar plantations in the Caribbean and the West Indies. Designed for use in the classroom, there is an 11 minute companion video which begins with OPRHP Interpreter of African American History Lavada Nahon demonstrating how to cook “Best Pancakes” from an historic recipe.
“Working with our colleagues at other state agencies like the New York State Museum, New York State Library, the New York State Archives, and The Archives Partnership Trust expands our capacity to share the expanding research and interpretation of New York’s Black history in so many ways,” said Lavada Nahon, OPRHP Interpreter of African American History. “We each bring different nuances and talents to these projects, which results in more dynamic products for the public to enjoy.”
Providing access to historic and educational resources is a core component of the Enslavement to Freedom initiative and in 2026 OPRHP is inviting educational and nonprofit organizations to host one or more of the four available traveling banner exhibitions: 1) Poisonous Seeds: The Dutch and the Institution of Slavery in New York 2) Redefining the Family: One Descendant’s Journey into History 3) Another Face of War: Enslaved and Free Blacks in the Revolution and 4) Many and Varied Hands: The Work and Labor of the Enslaved. Compact enough to be displayed in various environments, the traveling exhibitions tell monumental stories from the past that center Black experience and share information about Black history in early New York.
Enslavement to Freedom: 1627-1827-2027 resources and activities will continue to be developed and shared with the public over the next several years. For up-to-date information about this and other Black history initiatives at OPRHP – including how to request the Enslavement to Freedom traveling banner exhibitions – please visit https://parks.ny.gov/
Throughout the month of February, OPRHP interpretive staff and environment educators will also host educational events and programs at state parks and historic sites throughout New York. A list of events is available here.
More about the two exhibitions at the Empire State Plaza in February:
Another Face of War: Enslaved and Free Blacks in the Revolution
The Revolutionary War forever changed the lives of every New Yorker. For the enslaved and free Blacks living there it opened new avenues for self-emancipation through military service. Fighting in blue and red coats, they defended the land they called home while striving to achieve a level of freedom they heard their enslavers speak of that may not have been intended for them. This exhibit highlights particular stories of some of those brave souls.
Many and Varied Hands: The Work and Labor of the Enslaved
For two-hundred years enslaved Africans and their descendants were the major labor force throughout the colony of New Netherland and later New York. From sunup to sundown, they toiled in urban and rural spaces doing tasks that were essential to the growth and prosperity of the colony and its peoples. This exhibit explores the large variety of work accomplished by those held in bondage throughout their lives.
More about ConsidertheSourceNY.org
ConsidertheSourceorg is an online community that connects educators across New York State to valuable primary source materials found in the churches, museums, historical organizations, libraries, and state and local governments with a series of highly-engaging learning activities designed to guide and encourage students at all grade levels to make discoveries using critical thinking skills. Consider the Source New York is a program of the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.
More about the Division for Historic Preservation
The mission of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation is to create meaningful connections to the dynamic history of the state for all residents and visitors and the Division is committed to protecting historic and cultural resources. Part of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the DHP strives to raise awareness of the value of historic places for future generations and to expand the complex narratives in order to tell a more complete story that represents the diversity of the state's people, both past and present. Learn more about the full scope of the Division's work online.
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