In 1966 a group of students, Boy Scouts, and local citizens
rediscovered all that remained of a then virtually unknown
community called Weeksville: four frame houses on Hunterfly Road.
The infrastructures and vibrant histories of Weeksville, an African
American community that had become one of the largest free black
communities in nineteenth century United States, were virtually
wiped out due to Brooklyn's exploding population and expanding
urban grid.
Weeksville was founded by African American entrepreneurs after
slavery ended in New York State in 1827. Located in eastern
Brooklyn, Weeksville provided a space of physical safety, economic
prosperity, education, and even political power. It had a high rate
of property ownership, offered a wide variety of occupations, and
hosted a relatively large proportion of skilled workers, business
owners, and professionals. Inhabitants organized churches, a
school, orphan asylum, home for the aged, newspapers, and the
national African Civilization Society. Notable residents of
Weeksville, such as journalist and educator Junius P. Morell,
participated in every major national effort for African American
rights, including the Civil War.
In Brooklyn's Promised Land, Judith Wellman not only tells the
important narrative of Weeksville's growth, disappearance, and
eventual rediscovery, but also highlights the stories of the people
who created this community. Drawing on maps, newspapers, census
records, photographs, and the material culture of buildings and
artifacts, Wellman reconstructs the social history and national
significance of this extraordinary place. Through the lens of this
local community, Brooklyn's Promised Land highlights themes still
relevant to African Americans across the country.
General
Imprint: |
New York University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
November 2014 |
First published: |
November 2014 |
Authors: |
Judith Wellman
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 26mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
Pages: |
320 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8147-2415-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8147-2415-9 |
Barcode: |
9780814724156 |
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