BY JILL D’AMICO

Know it or not, Brooklyn played an important role in the abolitionist movement of the 1800s – and now the City is seeking to make sure that history will be honored for generations to come.

Today, Aug. 13, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to develop a project that will commemorate the movement in the borough.

To help in the effort, a six-member panel of noted historians, community leaders and academics was selected to work in conjunction with the City and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. They will assist with the creation of a Request for Proposals (RFP) and the selection of a local cultural organization that will develop and manage the program.

Representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership will serve as technical advisors to the panel. 

The members of the commemoration panel that were named are the Reverend Lawrence Aker, Senior Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church; Richard Greene, Executive Director, Crown Heights Youth Collective; Colvin L. Grannum, President, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.; Chris Moore, Research Historian, Curator, Schomburg Center; Pamela Green, Executive Director, Weeksville Historical Society, and Antonia Yuille Williams, Director Community Relations, Con Edison.

The Commemoration Panel in collaboration with NYCEDC, DCA and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership will participate in the preparation and release of the RFP to identify potential commemoration proposals, review proposal responses, select the finalists and recommend a final proposal. Ongoing duties will include assisting in program development and overseeing its implementation.

Fall RFP Process
The RFP, expected to be issued in the fall, will be found on the City’s Economic Development Corporation’s Web site.

The City will provide initial funding in the amount of $1 million for planning expenses over the next three fiscal years, and another $1 million in capital funding for the same period to be used by the selected respondent to implement the commemoration program.

According to the City, respondents’ budgets must demonstrate program sustainability using City funds for the next three years, and sustainability with funds from other sources beyond FY2010. Programs and activities must occur within Brooklyn and involve existing locations that have a documented association with the Underground Railroad or abolitionist activity.

The plans are a part of the City’s bigger Downtown Brooklyn Plan – an initiative to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and improve local business conditions and quality of life for residents and employees in the area.

“The past is a prologue to our future,” said Councilwoman Letitia James. “All Americans need to understand and learn about the abolitionist movement in Brooklyn, and the role that slavery played in the development of this country and state.”

“Downtown Brooklyn is home to several sites that had a strong connection to anti-slavery activity and the abolitionist movement,” said Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President Joe Chan. “We are enthusiastic about participating in a process to formally commemorate Brooklyn’s role in bringing this tragic chapter in our nation’s history to an end.”

Mayor’s Office on the Web