The African Burial Ground Memorial visit was  mind opening. The memorial was small but it’s significance was far greater. It’s tribute to the real colony builders that sacrificed their flesh and bones for the  foundation of New York was touching. The movie that was shown stated that the way we treat our dead is a signifier of our humanity; no other animal of this planet buries their dead with special rituals and congregations. In those graves and rituals as depicted in the picture lies the slaves’ way of reclaiming the humanity that they had been stripped of through years of hard labor and harsh, inhumane treatment. It’s significance to them is evident in the risk that they took by meeting at dusk despite the possible consequences that they could face for breaking the law.

Despite the oppression they faced and the rights and identity that they were stripped of, their history rose through the foundation of this city to tell the narrative of their struggle and rich culture. Their identity is found in these graves and their voices are heard through the marks on their bones.