African Burying Ground Memorial is Half Way Home

October 2013 will mark the 10th anniversary of when the city's African Burying Ground was discovered by construction workers on Chestnut Street, and the push is on to complete the African Burying Ground Memorial before that date arrives.

City Councilor Chris Dwyer, who serves on the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission for the memorial, recently informed her fellow councilors at City Hall that the project's volunteer fundraising committee has made significant progress.

"We have raised $600,000. We have some large asks that are pending," she said.

African Burying Ground Memorial organizers need to raise a total of $1.2 million to create the park on Chestnut Street where the remains of 200 African slaves were buried. A model of the proposed sculpture that will be part of the new memorial park is on display at the Portsmouth Public Library.

Dwyer said the effort is enjoying widespread involvement and support from the Portsmouth schools, city businesses and other groups. She said a model of the African Burying Ground Memorial sculpture is currently on display at the Portsmouth Public Library.

Dwyer also said creating the memorial is very important because the discovery of the African slaves remains and the historical records that exist show that this is an important part of the city's history. She explained that Portsmouth had slaves as early as 1645 and that some slaves had petitioned the New Hampshire Legislature for their freedom in 1779 after the Declaration of Independence was signed a few years earlier in 1776.

Dwyer said New Hampshire did not add an amendment to its state constitution to emancipate its slaves until 1857.

Community support has been very strong for this project since it was first undertaken. held a candlelight vigil and musical celebration following the group's concert at the Music Hall.

The same type of event will take place on Feb. 20 when African-American writer/performer Carlyle Brown performs a one-man show at the Music Hall about searching for his identity in West Africa.

According to Music Hall officials, Brown's show will help raise money for the African Burying Ground Memorial and the design for the memorial will also be unveiled. Randy Armstrong will then lead a group of African drummers in a procession to a candlelight memorial over the sacred African Burying ground.

Just recently, The Fabulous Find: A Caring Community Thrift Shop in Kittery, Maine donated $4,000 to the African Burying Ground Memorial project.

In a prepared statement issued by Stephanie Seacord on behalf of the Kittery thrift store, Vernis Jackson, chair of the City of Portsmouth’s African Burying Ground Committee, said, “I am completely stunned and immensely grateful for the support of The Fabulous Find and the wonderful Board, staff, volunteers and supporters who helped make this incredible gift possible. We are well on our way to our financial goal for creating the African Burying Ground Memorial Park and this donation will go directly toward the effort to get the actual project started in 2013.”

In November, Public Service of New Hampshire also donated $10,000 to the memorial park project. According to the African Burying Ground Memorial web site, the city was the lead donor after appropriating $250,000 toward the project costs.