Foley Square & the African Burial Ground | Gail Cornell

Published: Sept. 24, 2020, 11 a.m.

Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of Foley Square and the African Burial Ground. The current site of the African Burial Ground consists of the outdoor monument, adjacent to the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway, which holds an interpretive center on the first floor for the burial ground. The center features 5 public artworks commissioned and funded by the General Services Administration. "Unearthed" by Frank Bender, sculptor and forensic artist, is a bronze sculpture inspired by three of the individuals removed from the burial ground. "America Song" by Clyde Lynds is a sculpture composed of granite, concrete and fiber optics, and features an Indian headdress and feathers. At night, the sculpture is illuminated by the fiber optics.