African Burial Ground National Monument

#Fallcolors have started arriving at the African Burial Ground National Monument! Come visit and enjoy the #fallfoliage at the outdoor memorial! #autumn #NPS #findyourpark

Visiting The Outdoor Memorial While all indoor areas and restroom facilities remain closed, the African Burial Ground National Monument has reopened the outdoor memorial. To access the outdoor memorial, we ask the public to follow the guidelines below. Groups less than 10:... No reservation necessary. Visitation is allowed during regular operating hours of Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm Groups of 10 or more: A reservation is required. Please call 212-238-4367 or email [email protected] to make a reservation. When visiting, the National Park Service encourages you to follow CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Practice social distancing. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and others. Wear a face covering when social distancing cannot be maintained. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

John Birks Dizzy Gillespie born on October 21, 1917, is considered one of the developers of #bebop and a major contributor to modern #jazz. #OTD #NPS #FindYourPark Images: "Dizzy" posing standing, him playing the #trumpet on the stage, and him playing at #CarnegieHall

Happy #NationalDayofWriting! To celebrate the day, share with us in 6 words a thought about the African Burial Ground National Monument. #writing #writeout #WriteOn #NPS #FindYourPark Image: Libation inscribed on the outdoor memorial that reads: For all those who were lost For all those who were stolen... For all those who were left behind For all those who were not forgotten See more

Lucy Stanton Day Session was born on October 16, 1831, and spent her life fighting for African American and women’s rights. She became the first African American woman to finish a four year degree when in 1850, she graduated with a Literary Degree from Oberlin College. At graduation, she delivered an address called "A Plea For The Oppressed," that decried slavery. She wrote a fictional story about slavery for her then husband's newspaper and became the first African American woman to be published a fictional story. #trailblazer #college #OTD #NPS #FindYourPark Image: Photograph of Oberlin College in 1905

By 1741, #newyorkcity had a population of roughly 10,000 people and nearly 2,000 of these individuals were Africans. #nyc #blackhistory #history Image: Map of New York City in 1766.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits." Martin Luther King said this in his acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize. He won the Nobel Peace Prize on this day in 1964. #MLK #OTD #peaceful Image: Color photograph of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington #DC

Jesse Leroy Brown was a member of the Naval Reserve when he saw a poster recruiting for a new naval aviation program. Initially, he was discouraged from applying and told he would never be behind a cockpit of a #Navy aircraft due to his race. Nevertheless, he persisted and became the first African American man to become a Naval aviator. Tragically, while in combat in the #KoreanWar, his plane was shot down and he passed away. Today would have been his 94th birthday. #trailblazer #USNavy #pilot #OTD #bravery Images: Photos of Jesse Leroy Brown sitting in his plane's cockpit, formal portrait, and him taking his oath of office.

African Burial Ground N.M. Is Beginning to Increase Recreational Access to Park Grounds Beginning October 13, 2020, following guidance from the White House, CDC, and state and local public health officials, African Burial Ground N.M. is increasing access to park grounds. News Release with details here: https://www.nps.gov/afbg/learn/news/afbg-operations-mod.htm #NPS #FindYourPark Image: Outdoor Memorial at the African Burial Ground NM that is now open!

Eugene Jacques Bullard born on October 9, 1895, went on to become the first African American military pilot to fly in combat. He was the only African America pilot in World War I, because he flew for the French as part of the Aéronautique Militaire. When the United States entered the war, he tried to join the US Air Force, but was refused because of his race. #OTD #pilot #military #WWI Image: Photo of Eugene Bullard standing with his arms folded looking to the viewer left.

Edith Simpson became an ancestor 41 years ago on this day. She was the first African American delegate to the United Nations. #OTD #NPS #FindYourPark #BlackHistory #trailblazer Image: Black and white photo with her looking directly at the camera and the other photo of her partially in profile

The New York Manumission Society was founded in New York City in 1785. The society sought to fight for the freedom and eventual rights of African Americans in New York. The society had several famous members including #JohnJay and #AlexanderHamilton. The society allowed slaveholders to be members. Hamilton and others proposed a resolution stating that slaveholders could NOT be members unless they freed their slaves. Unfortunately, this resolution was rejected. The society did good work such as founding the New York African Free School. #freedom #school #newyork #NYC Image: Print of the African Free School number 2