Juneteenth: From Forgotten Grounds to a Celebration in Seneca Village

Time: 9:15 a.m.–1:00 p.m.; total distance about 6–6.5 miles, from Harlem to Seneca Village in Central Park, moderate to brisk pace.
Meet location: Metro North Harlem-125th Street Station, E 125 Street & Park Avenue.
Bring: Water, lunch, snacks.
Restrooms: Inside the Metro North station; Tennis Center in Central Park (St. Nicholas Park, if needed).

ABOUT
On Juneteenth, a significant day marking the end of slavery in the United States, we will begin with a tribute to the unnamed souls laid to rest in Harlem's African Burial Ground. This unmarked site, where enslaved and freed Africans were buried from the 1660s to the 1860s, was sold and repurposed in the mid-19th century. The burial ground was rediscovered during the Willis Avenue Bridge Reconstruction project in the early 2000s.

We will visit the former cemetery site to pay our respects, though no visible traces remain—the land is now occupied by a decommissioned MTA bus terminal. From there, we will walk through Harlem, stopping at historic landmarks that celebrate the achievements of African Americans. Our walk will culminate at a Juneteenth celebration in Seneca Village, hosted by the Central Park Conservancy.

DETAILS
We will meet at 9:15 a.m. and depart promptly at 9:30 a.m. to ensure arrival at Seneca Village in Central Park before 1:00 p.m., when the Juneteenth celebration begins.

Along the way, we will pass several historical landmarks, including:

• Astor Row;
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (closed during our walk);
• Abyssinian Baptist Church;
• Strivers Row;
• Harlem Walk of Fame;
• The Spirit of Harlem Mosaic;
• Harriet Tubman statue, honoring this trailblazing conductor of freedom.

If time allows, we will make a short detour to Morningside Park to view sculptures from the Harlem Sculpture Garden before continuing to the Frederick Douglass sculpture. From there, we’ll enter Central Park and head to Seneca Village, near W 85th Street.

We'll eat our lunch when we get to the site of the Juneteenth celebration, which begins at 1:00 p.m. and will feature performances inspired by the lives and legacies of Seneca Village’s former residents, including:

• The Rakiem Walker Project, known for their soulful, electric jazz-infused sound;
• Poetic tributes from Kai Diata Giovanni;
• 2024 New York City Youth Poet Laureate Kayden Hern;
• 2023 New York Gubernatorial Inauguration Poet Laureate Jayden Antwine;
• Acclaimed poet and storyteller Courtney Symone Staton.

We will walk approximately 6 miles at a moderate to brisk pace.

Hike Leader:
Brigitte – text or call 646-651-3911 (on the day of the walk only).

***

New York was a major center of slavery for over two centuries, with a significant enslaved population contributing to the city’s infrastructure and economy. Despite the association of the North with freedom, nearly half of colonial households in New York held enslaved individuals. Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, commemorates the delayed emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, which occurred over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation due to limited Union presence.
http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/history.htm

The Harlem African Burial Ground, established in 1660, served as a cemetery for African-descended New Yorkers for more than 200 years before urban expansion led to its sale and displacement in the mid-1800s. Rediscovered in the early 2000s, the site has since been the focus of preservation efforts led by the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative.
https://edc.nyc/project/east-126th-harlem-african-burial-ground-project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_African_Burial_Ground