THE 20 YEAR CELEBRATION OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

THE 20 YEAR CELEBRATION OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

On October 24, 2020 the City of New York will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the unveiling of the Triumph of the Human Spirit Monument in the heart of Thomas Paine Park and Foley Square.  Located on the newly named Black Lives Matter Boulevard, formerly Center Street, Triumph of the Human Spirit is a part of the  African Burial Ground across from the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse and the David Dinkins Municipal Building.  The ceremony will be held from 11am - 2:00pm. The Office of the Manhattan Borough President will issue a Proclamation to commemorate this important event.  Invited guest speakers, artists and elected officials will be in attendance.

The effects of slavery in New York on the countless men, women and children that survived the horrific Middle Passage, made the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade the most infamous and brutal commerce known to modern day history. The discovery of the African Burial Ground in New York City in 1991 was a controversial archaeological expedition that finally unearthed the truth of the City’s involvement in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.  The aftermath of this institution still lingers on today.  Over 400 years later, our nation is still in the midst of a national referendum on race.

The artist, Dr. Lorenzo Pace was commissioned by the City to create a monument to honor these enslaved people. His sculpture, aptly named, “The Triumph of the Human Spirit” was inspired by the shackles that enslaved his great great grandfather.  This Monument gives honor and recognition to more than 20,000 enslaved and freed African people buried in lower Manhattan in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The sculpture took ten years to create. It is a reminder of the resilience of the enslaved Africans.