Kelly Mary Britt

Historical African and African American burial grounds within the US have been built over, obliterated, and at times erased from collective memory. Through grassroots community efforts, such as those witnessed at the African Burial Ground National Monument (ABGNM) in the 1990s, these sacred spaces have begun to be remembered, preserved, and memorialized through collective action. In collaboration with local partners including the Flatbush African Burial Ground Coalition (FABGC), Brooklyn Level Up (BKLVLUP), GrowHouse NYC (GHNYC), and Brooklyn College’s Center for the Study of Brooklyn (CSB), this project will focus on the impact collective heritage-placemaking has on healing historical trauma through work at the Flatbush African Burial Ground, Brooklyn, New York. To better understand how the community of Flatbush envisions honoring the Ancestors and bringing their history alive permanently, the project will focus on what lies beneath the surface. By using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) on the empty lot that is the location of the Flatbush African Burial Ground, the investigation will explore the physical aspects of this sacred site. This will provide a physical focal point for the community, to better understand the physical history of the site and provide a catalyst for healing from centuries of historical trauma.