“The African Burial Ground is the most significant archaeological find in New York City history,” says Howard Dodson, Schomburg Chief. “In October 2003, we ensured that our ancestors were reburied with the dignity, respect and honor that their service to African- Americans, New Yorkers, and Americans in general, deserves.
Honoring Lives, Legacies
“On October 1-3, 2004, we will honor the lives of those interred at the African Burial Ground while exploring their legacies through a prism of multidisciplinary scholarly and artistic perspectives. The commemoration will encompass a range of activities designed to involve interfaith leaders, schoolchildren and other segments of the public interested in the contributions of Africans to the development of the city and the nation.”
  Schoolchildren, Faith Institutions, Drummers
Event highlights include: the marking of African-American historic sites in Lower Manhattan; placement of wreaths at burial sites around the Tweed Building and City Hall Park; participation of  schoolchildren and drummers in a Ring-Shout around the perimeter of the African Burial Ground; a street renaming ceremony at the  site; an overnight public vigil; and guided tours of African -American historic sites in the area.
 Performers from Around the World
Also, the event will involve faith institutions in tributes to the ancestors during their services; a concert; and a tribute ceremony with performances and readings of performers from Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil and the U.S. reflecting the theme, “Africans in the Americas: Celebrating the Ancestral Heritage.”