The Spirit of Community” Guides Central Park’s Juneteenth Event

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There’s no denying that Central Park has been an essential community space for New Yorkers since its creation in the 1850s. However, it's crucial to acknowledge the people who called an area of it home before the Park existed. In recognition of this fact, the Central Park Conservancy has facilitated multiple engagements over the years dedicated to uncovering the history of Seneca Village, an African-American community that existed on what is now the west side of Central Park between 82nd and 89th Streets.

As part of an ongoing community-led dialogue about the history of Seneca Village and the role of Black communities in and around Central Park, the Central Park Conservancy is hosting a Juneteenth celebration in the Seneca Village landscape on Saturday, June 15 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Since 2022, the organization has been hosting Juneteenth events in this part of the Park to both highlight and celebrate the Black joy that the community must have experienced in this rural setting before being uprooted for the creation of the Park.

This year’s celebration theme, “The Spirit of Community,” nods to the crucial role that Seneca Village’s three churches played in fostering a dynamic, close-knit community. In addition to these churches, Seneca Village was also home to a school and more than 50 homes. The increasing land values granted voting rights to 10 of Seneca Village’s African-American landowners, constituting one-tenth of all Black voters in New York at the time.

The autonomous community was effectively destroyed when the City acquired the land to build Central Park using eminent domain, meaning residents were compensated for their land and required to leave by 1857, a mere 32 years after it had been established.

For more than a century afterwards, very few traces of the settlement were part of the historical record. It wasn’t until the 1990s that scholars and archaeologists began working to bring the history of this community to light. In 2011, the Central Park Conservancy and the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History conducted an excavation at the site, which uncovered thousands of artifacts and offered insight into how Seneca Village residents lived.

This year’s Juneteenth event will bring people together around four elements: music, play, art, and healing. It will celebrate the vibrant community of Seneca Village and explore the sense of unity fostered by its churches and residents, honoring their legacy while acknowledging the village's profound historical significance. In addition to a range of family-friendly activities and guided experiences, attendees can expect to enjoy emotive artwork and captivating musical performances from Blues artists Brianna Thomas, T.K. Blue, and Chinah Black. There will also be plenty of engaging educational opportunities, such as an immersive performance which will allow kids of all ages and abilities to learn about the games children of Seneca Village might have played and try their hand at them.

This year, the Conservancy is also proud to work with community partners, including Corbin Hill Food Project, Sugar Hill Children's Museum, and Studio Museum in Harlem, to embody the event's theme and make this celebration truly special.

Additionally, Central Park Conservancy guides will provide information about Seneca Village’s churches, school, and other community institutions to vividly bring history to life. This Juneteenth programming is designed to be a joyful celebration of Seneca Village’s African-American residents and their contributions to New York City as well as an informative look at the historical context in which they lived.

The Central Park Conservancy’s Juneteenth event will take place on Saturday, June 15 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The rain date is scheduled for June 16. Activities will be in the Park’s Seneca Village landscape. Visitors should plan to enter at West 85th Street. The event is family-friendly and free to attend.

To stay up to date on the Central Park Conservancy’s Juneteenth celebration and other happenings in this area of the Park, sign up for the Seneca Village newsletter.

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