During our trip to the African Burial Grounds I learned many new things about New York and slavery as a whole. I much like many other people had no idea all these high-rises were built on top of ground with such rich history. As our tour began and Ranger Smith asked the class many questions about slavery and the history of New York that I had never thought about. We then continued on to watch a short film about slavery in New York. As the film went on I just kept thinking to myself “How can all of this be real because New York seems so white-collar nowadays.” After the film as the class walked through the exhibition my heart just kept sinking as I saw the wall with the vast amount of photos showing all the skeletons that were discovered. The exhibition as a whole hit me in the heart but not as much as the national monument outside. While standing in the entryway of the monument I felt as though my soul and spirit were being crushed and trapped inside of it. Then as we walked through the small entrance into the main circle of the monument I saw all the different symbols and the map on the ground which gave me a feeling of desolation. As we left the burial ground I had a heavy heart knowing all those slaves died here, but it made me curious as to what lied deep beneath the surface of my groups location. I hope as the project progresses I am able to find out more hidden knowledge about my location, Grand Central Station.
