The Conservancy helped facilitate the fifth convening of New York City Black Institutions in early September. The Noble Maritime Collection at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island hosted the event. Their building housed Black sailors when Snug Harbor served as a retirement home for seamen.
The convenings began in early 2023 when Weeksville President Dr. Raymond Codrington asked the Conservancy to introduce him to other African American institutions we have assisted with grants. The goal was to learn from each other and promote the great range of Black history and institutions in the City.
The recent convening was attended by 20 people representing 13 organizations from Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. In addition to Weeksville, some of the other attendees included New Amsterdam Musical Association in Manhattan, United Order of Tents in Brooklyn, Lewis Latimer House in Queens, and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Cemetery in Staten Island – a recently designated NYC landmark. The discussion centered on various aspects of developing the group to accomplish its goal of making participating organizations more visible to the public and elected officials.
A tour following the session was provided by staff of the museum and included both the Sailors Snug Harbor art collection and the John Noble Collection of maritime art. The next convening is being planned for January.
Watch our Tourist in Your Own Town video to learn more about The Noble Maritime Collection at Snug Harbor and then plan a visit.