Weeksville
This week, I went to Weeksville Heritage Center, a totally cool historic museum that I never even heard of until now.
There’s a video about it here!
The City Concealed: Weeksville from Thirteen.org on Vimeo.
It’s kind of insane that when they teach us history in school, and we know that they leave out many important bits. One of the bits they missed in social studies seventh grade (I am looking at you, Ms. Olmann) is an explanation of where the freed black people went after being freed from slavery but before acquiring any rights as Americans. Apparently, one of these places was Weeksville, 3 houses bought by James Weeks in the outskirts of Brooklyn. He created a community for freed men that gave them a safe haven from the draft laws, as well as protecting them from rioting angry whites that were still unhappy with the recent emancipation. The community gave people a chance to grow together; learn to read and write, create jobs and grow their funds, give the womenfolk a chance to have jobs other than laundry and seamstress by building a school and orphanage, gain some political power so they can know what to vote for, and more.
Although the community is now a museum, it is a relevancy driven one. It has a self-sustainable farm that allows the local community to have access to fresh fruit and vegetables. It has classes that teach young students about their history and classes that encourage them to create art. It also is a stage for touring performance and visual artists, allowing the community to have access to new art and exciting festivals.
I found it relevant and wonderful. I enjoyed the fact that the exhibits were authentic and tangible, and especially that I was encouraged to “look into the icebox” and “go upstairs and check out the attic”. It’s a wonderful learning opportunity, a point of pride for Americans, and a fun place to poke into.
Check it out here!