Educational Event - Acknowledging the History of Enslavement and Liberation of African Americans in

The Acknowledging the History of Enslavement and Liberation of African Americans in Pequannock Project is a collaborative, community-engaged effort to rebury the displaced remains of at least four Black unfree people in Pequannock Township in the 19th century and to honor the lives and histories of enslaved people in New Jersey.

Led by an advisory council of community leaders and researchers sharing knowledge and contributing diverse perspectives, this project was created to find a final resting place for the remains of these ancestors and to promote community engagement with histories of race, slavery, liberation, and unfreedom in New Jersey.

Upon the recommendation of the advisory council, a peaceful and dignified private reburial ceremony took place on July 13, 2024 in the First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains Cemetery.

The council continues to welcome community feedback and input, especially from people with a shared heritage with nineteenth-century North Jersey and contemporary Morris County and nearby residents. We hope to foster opportunities to speak about the history of enslavement and liberation of the African Americans who lived in Pequannock in the colonial and early national periods in New Jersey.

A public event is scheduled for October 26, 2024. We welcome participation from people interested in reckoning with these histories in our region. 1:00 to 3:00pm in the Friendship Hall at First Reformed Church.