Once, they were forgotten. Now, they're celebrated.
A plaque was unveiled Tuesday at Purchase College to honor
the graves of enslaved Africans thought to be on campus grounds.
About six years ago, farmer and activist Karen Washington
says she heard about the site while speaking at the school but was shocked by
what she found.
"I was excited at first, but then I was taken aback
because there were headstones unmarked, in disrepair,” she said.
That has changed. The space is being celebrated, honored
and remembered. It's partly thanks to a Purchase College senior, Quincy
Alexander.
"It was just a personal project,” he said. “I have
always heard that there were enslaved people on this property – it’s a Purchase
legend. I just wanted to see if I could find any evidence of that and it became
a little bigger than I expected."
The student found what he was looking for – evidence that
the Thomas family, who once lived on the land, owned slaves and may have buried
them there.
Students and faculty since have expanded on his initial
research and will continue to do so.
While it's not for sure that the enslaved Africans were
buried there, the college says the possibility is enough to warrant action.
The college installed a plaque that explains the history of
the site. There was also a Libation ceremony held on the grounds – an essential
ceremonial tradition and way of giving homage to ancestors.
Anyone who would like to learn more about the grounds of
Purchase College can visit the
school’s website.