The collective project “Hidden Histories: Black Stories in the Lower East Side, NYC” uncovers, documents, and celebrates the invisible history of Black life in New York that begins in the Lower East Side (LES) of Manhattan. The LES is popularly known in history as the place where colonial settlers from Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, first settled during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The systematic erasure of Black life and history of the LES must begin with an acknowledgment that this land belongs to the Lenni Lenape and other indigenous communities who have lived here for centuries. The first enslaved Africans in New York were brought by Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (Lower Manhattan) in 1626 as slavery continued to be an integral part of the economy and society into the 18th century. New York City became the largest slave owning colony in the north. By the early 18th century enslaved Black people made up 20% of the New York Cities population. The first African American Black neighborhood was established in the LES and extended to Greenwich Village.
The website is an ongoing collaborative project that begins to capture and archive the history of African-Americans in LES. Nine sites in LES are represented here, however there are more sites that need to be researched and added. As this website is a living archive, we included a digital Chalk wall to capture stories of African American experience in the LES from the public. All of the research on the history of African American in nine sites in the Lower East Side was done collectively and virtually as a class.
The research for “Hidden Histories: Black Stories in the Lower East Side, NYC” led to a public art intervention, called the Chalk Wall. The process for this art intervention was collaborative and consisted of many moving parts that informed each other. The Chalk Wall was placed on two sites in LES: 1. on the fence of the University Settlement house on Rivington Street and 2. Stanton Street and Green Park on First Avenue and First Street. The Chalk Wall at Green Park site was more active than the University Settlement House Chalk Wall. An QR code on a panel that explained the project led to the website, “Hidden Histories: Black Stories in the Lower East Side, NYC” for further information. See: https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/black-hidden-histories-les/home
