Free Montclair Library Talk: Defending An African-American Cemetery

From Montclair Library: On Saturday, March 18 at 2 p.m., Montclair Public Library will host a genealogical talk presented by a member of the New Jersey Chapter of the Afro American Historical & Genealogical Society (aahgsnj.org).

As someone with Afro-Dutch and Malagasy colonial roots going back to New Amsterdam, Teresa Vega will discuss the historical importance of saving African-American burial grounds and her family’s current battle to save the Byram African-American Cemetery in Greenwich, CT.

This talk is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended. The library is handicapped accessible and can provide assistive listening devices upon request. For more information on these events or to register, visit montclairlibrary.org/calendar or call 973-744-0500 ext. 2235.

About Teresa Vega

In 1991, during Teresa Vega’s first year at CUNY Graduate and University Center, she was among many anthropology graduate students who took part in standing up for the historical designation of the recently discovered African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan. Vega has discovered that her maternal African-American Green-Merritt ancestors were from Greenwich, CT and have an over 250+ year presence in the town. Her family is of Native American and European ancestry, and descends from both slave owners and slaves who can be traced back to the mid-1700s. Vega will discuss their journey to freedom as well as that of their descendants in her talk.

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