Blog Post | Aug 2022
The name 'Weeksville' was lost to public memory for more than a generation. It wasn't until 1968 that historian James Hurley recovered the neighborhood's name from old maps and archives.
Today, the Weeksville Heritage Center preserves the story of this historic Black neighborhood in the heart of Crown Heights. We visited as a studio in April 2022 to learn more.
Weeksville took its name from James Weeks, a former dockworker who established the village in the 1830s. Over the course of the nineteenth century, Weeksville became a center of culture and political power. Black land-owners could vote as a bloc. Neighborhood residents published one of the first Black newspapers (the Freedman's Torchlight). Local churches and organizations played a key role in the Underground Railroad. So. Much. History. Here.
But the Weeksville Heritage Center is so much more than history. As a cultural institution, they are shaping conversations and building community through public programming, exhibitions, performances, and more. Weeksville is shaping the future of Brooklyn while caring for its past.
Our visit to Weeksville made us reflect on the history of our own New York City neighborhoods — many of them changing quickly — and wonder what is being lost to the ever-increasing pace of gentrification and erasure. What can we do to thoughtfully care for the places we love, and improve the lives of the people we call neighbors?
We may not have all the answers just yet. But knowing a bit more about the history of our city helps us feel connected to this place. And makes us want to do better.
If you're curious to learn more, check out the Weeksville Heritage Center and read about their work:
”How Weeksville, a Center of Black History, Fought to Survive” (NYTimes, Apr 2021)
“Recovering Weeksville” (New Yorker, Nov 2014)
Special thanks to the Weeksville Heritage Center for hosting our group (in the rain!) and sharing their work with us.