The Haverstraw African American Connection
Haverstraw
African American Memorial Park
The important history of Haverstraw's African American community is now commemorated at the African American Memorial Park, located at 41 Clinton St. Haverstraw, NY 10927. The park features a kiosk with displays about local history and the African diaspora. The waterfront location creates a tranquil atmosphere and allows visitors to feel at peace with nature as they enjoy the garden and water fountain.
The inlay of bricks in the park are inscribed with the names of local families and Brickyard workers, recognizing their critical contributions to the building of Manhattan and the State of New York.
A display in a kiosk also highlights the birth of Haverstraw's African American churches, as well as the culture, music and arts that were born here.
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"The park will serve as a testament to the faithfulness of our God and acknowledge the strength and contributions of African American people".
Virginia Norfleet
ART in the PARK
The Haverstraw African American Memorial park has space dedicated to art and sculptures. The first sculpture in the park was the Harriet Tubman Journey to Freedom traveling exhibit statue that stayed in the park from 4/20-6/7/2021. The statue received over 14,000 visitors in person and 600,000 online from all races, ethnicities and ages. Harriet's departure left a void in the park and in the community which prompted HAAC to look for permanent pieces of art to keep the spirit of community alive.
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ART AL FRESCO
July 2022 welcomed "IMANI" created by our favorite local artist James Tyler.
Imani which means faith, pays tribute to the women of the brickyards, whose voices were never heard.
On June 19, 2021, HAAC in collaboration with Orange and Rockland unveiled JunJun, the first of many pieces of art and sculptures to be featured in the park.
Haverstraw based, nationally renowned artist James Tyler created "JunJun" a unique colossal brickhead that "represents humanity without the presence of race, gender or other things". The face is based on African, Native American, pre-Columbian, South American, Asian, and western influences. Mr. Tyler's sculptures have been installed in over 30 parks, universities, and sculpture gardens around the country and he has received awards from the Boston Society of Architects and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. JunJun is a perfect fit for the park to continue to educate the community on art, culture and history.
