My Installed Poem Commemorating The Previously Enslaved.

“RXR builds a luxury apartment on top of unmarked graves” could have easily been a headline on a Westchester paper.

About 16 months ago, I submitted a proposal to write a commemorative poem. I was a lil’ skeptical since every other submission I applied for required the poem to go with the application. But this one was different. It was from a construction company. The task was to create a poem recognizing the history of enslaved people in New Rochelle, whose stories have not been sufficiently told.

 This poem would potentially negate any possible bad press and shed light on a past injustice. To me, it was right up my lane. It reminded me of my poem #blackspaces from #thebluescryforarevolution. And it was not just RXR asking. But the New Rochelle Historical Society, New Rochelle’s African American Advisory Committee, and other stakeholders wanted to see the poem come to fruition.

Fast forward, to last November, I got the email to write it. But the writing process wasn’t just scribbling at my desk. I had to connect deeper with the community for it to be genuine. Deep like searching through Archives and talking to people like I did to uncover my own ancestors had been enslaved in the Caribbean back when I was a Fulbright Scholar. 

This time I was connected with several local historians like Barbara Davis, Linda Tarrant-Reid and Donna Landirone, a descendant of a previously enslaved person in New Rochelle, via Angela Farris, President of New Ro’s AAAC. In a small amount of time, I learned a lot about the New Rochelle landscape. For one, where RXR was building possibly wasn’t the only unmarked grave site in New Rochelle.

Although, a study did not show RXR had indeed built upon unmarked graves. At 55 Clinton Place, New Rochelle along the plaza between One Clinton Park and Two Clinton Park you can find my poem “Unforget” installed. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!