Denied Dignity in Life, Honored in Death

“This is not just land. This is sacred land. Our ancestors are here, and they deserve to be remembered.” Those are the words of Tyrone Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of Harambee Kingston, a small but determined non-profit group whose mission is to create a permanent memorial for enslaved people buried more than 400 years ago.

At 157 Pine Street in Kingston, New York, lies a sacred piece of history that is nearly lost to time, neglect, and an unwillingness to confront a violent and unpopular past. On this quiet, tree-lined street stands a vibrant green home whose grounds date back to the earliest Dutch settlers. In the backyard are the remains of countless enslaved Africans, some of whom died in the 1660s, and whose forced labor built New York state’s first capital city.

Today, the property is home to the Pine Street African Burial Ground, Museum, and Education Center. The past, however, carries a much harsher legacy. 

History of the Pine Street African Burial Ground in Kingston, NY

Starting in 1750, enslaved Africans and their descendants were buried haphazardly in the heavily wooded property. For decades, the site was alternately neglected and exploited by private owners. In 1853, it became a lumberyard; in the 1920s, it was converted into a private residence, which remains on the site today. At no time, despite public knowledge that the rear property contained the remains of men, women, and children, was there any action to move the graves. 

As recently as 2018, the property was nearly auctioned off as residential land, despite holding the remains of hundreds, possibly thousands. As Ubaka Hill, Director of Programming for Harambee Kingston, stated: “It was on record as an enslaved African burial ground — and yet it was about to be sold at auction.”

Rediscovering a Sacred Site

In 1990, an archaeological survey confirmed that bones found on the rear property and in a neighboring lot were of African origin. Over the next 18 years, several organizations joined forces to permanently protect the Pine Street African Burial Ground from development and private enterprise. A volunteer group called the Kingston Land Trust formed the African American History Committee. While they were able to rededicate the historic Mount Zion African American Cemetery, it wouldn’t be until 2019 that the Pine Street location became a protected site.

‘The Coming Together of People’

Guided by Tyrone’s leadership, Harambee Kingston partnered with the Kingston Land Trust to preserve the property. The very name harambee — Swahili for “the coming together of people” — reflected the spirit of this collaboration. In 2019, Harambee Kingston purchased 157 Pine Street and the adjacent rear lot, ensuring a permanent easement that will prevent the land from ever being developed.

To better understand who was buried there, Harambee Kingston partnered with the archaeology department at SUNY New Paltz. Excavations revealed over two dozen individuals, along with artifacts such as coins, combs, and tools. Because the land at 157 Pine Street sits two feet higher than the street, archaeologists determined that successive layers of soil had been added over time, with new burials placed on top of older ones. This suggests that the burial ground was used continuously for decades, even as space ran out.

“As of 2025, 27 individuals have been recovered. There are eight plots in the rear property, and we chose not to disturb them further, because they belong to the people resting here,” explains Ubaka Hill, Director of Programming for Harambee Kingston. One grave contained four young boys. Another held a heartbreaking group burial, from an infant to adults.

Yet across all the years of digging, only one individual has been identified by name. A fully intact headstone marked the grave of Caesar Smith, who died in 1841 at the age of 41. His marker is one of the rare traces of identity in a place where most were buried without recognition. As Wilson notes, “Any headstones that were here were destroyed. We found some broken, purposefully broken, and used as drainage fill.”

Uncovering the Past to Empower the Future

There is something about visiting this site that leaves visitors with a visceral reaction. “We are touching our humanness. Beyond racism and colonization, these are humans. We are understanding what it feels like to imagine their story,” Hill observes. “Even today, our ancestors are still being beneficial to everyone. Protecting the land is only the first step. The goal is to build something that reflects the dignity of those buried here.”

Adds Wilson: “Enslaved Africans built this city brick by brick. They were denied dignity in life, and it is our mission to give them their dignity now.”

Life, Resilience, and Community

Working at Harambee Kingston is truly a labor of love for its small staff and volunteers. Both Harambee Kingston and the Kingston Land Trust carry heavy workloads to keep the mission moving forward. As a not-for-profit, Harambee Kingston relies on state grants and donations to sponsor its free community events, after-school programs, a heritage garden, and an archaeological field school in collaboration with SUNY New Paltz. The organization will soon learn if it will be included on the National Register of Historic Places, which would open new doors for support. 

Their $1.5 million fundraising goal is to transform the Pine Street site from a cemetery into a place of culture, ceremony, and healing. Drumming, libations, African dancers, and youth programming make it a living space. Ubaka, a nationally recognized percussionist, poet, songwriter, and master drum teacher, states: “We’re changing the way people look at burial grounds. This is not just about death. It’s about life, resilience, and community.” 

From a Permanent Memorial to Personal Reflections

After years of working on the Pine Street African Burial Ground project, Wilson has his own ideas about this end-of-life wishes: Tyrone reflects on his own wishes: “I most definitely want to be cremated, just be released. The spirit will remain in this place, but let the flesh be free.” 

Hill also reflects on her final plans. She would like to be buried on her property in the Hudson Valley, but says, “You probably can’t do that in New York.” (There are no state laws prohibiting burial on your personal property, but local laws may have a different view.) 

For today, both are focused on creating a fitting memorial at the Pine Street African Burial Ground. “We’re the stewards of this sacred land,” Wilson says. “That’s our family, and you don’t own a family. You care for them.”

To learn more about Harambee Kingston, the history of enslaved people in New York State, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit HarambeeKingstonNy.org. This supports the organization’s educational programs, permanent memorial plans, and the acquisition of headstones for the eight burial plots.