African Burial Ground Trip

When we first arrived at the African Burial Ground, we participated in a libation led by Dr. Carr. He uplifted the names of the ancestors in the burial ground and encouraged us to call out the names of our own ancestors. Inside the museum, there were different sections dedicated to the ancestors of the burial ground and the project. There was a replica of what a funeral might have looked like. In the theatre, there was a short movie that talked about what a funeral might have consisted of. The funerals served as a chance for the community to be brought together and recognize those that passed. They were sacred and many were carried on even though the white people forbid them from happening. On the second part of the trip, we visited Harlem. This was the city to live in for a black person during the Great Migration. In the mid 1900s, Harlem was a rich and cultural city, but visiting it now, there is only a little culture left. Most of the city is run down and we had to navigate through the good and bad parts. It was still important to see the city to recognize the importance of where the Harlem Renaissance originated. Many great figures of black culture, like Ralph Ellison and Duke Ellington, stayed in the apartments of Harlem. There was still an atmosphere of black culture in the area. Many of the businesses of the area seemed to be black owned. For me, this trip helped me to realize the importance of community. The ancestors of the burial ground relied on the community, as well as the blacks currently living in Harlem and the ones from the Harlem Renaissance.