'1619' Bed-Stuy Community Art Project Reflects On Slavery Legacy

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — It could be a photograph, a newspaper clipping, a piece of fabric, a poem — an upcoming Brooklyn community art project asks the descendants of slaves to bring anything that symbolizes a connection to their ancestors.

Friends of Macon Library on Feb. 8 will gather those remembrances and use them to create a collage marking 1619, the year the first African slaves were documented in America.

Nailah Manns, president of Friends of Macon Library, can trace her own ancestry back those 400 years to what many call our country's true founding. Her ancestors and other enslaved Africans aren't recognized for building this country, she said.

"We're part of the tapestry of this country," she said. "We have a responsibility of making sure our heritage is known and it’s respected."

Brooklyn public libraries last year held 1619 events marking the advent of American slavery four centuries ago and its legacy.

Manns hopes to continue the commemoration every year at the Macon branch at Macon Street and Lewis Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood with deep roots in African American culture.

She said last year the library held a community art project in which people who can trace their ancestry back to the enslaved brought in objects showing that connection. It's a project she and her fellow curator Atim Oton plan to continue year after year.

"We’re trying to make a piece of art that’s sustainable," Manns said. "It's an open display."

People who wish to participate can bring their objects or artworks to Macon Library on Feb. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. Manns said those who can't make it can email thefriendsofthemaconlibrary@mail.com or drop off at the library.

The final collage will be displayed in the library's African-American Heritage Center.