Activity Report
African Burial Ground Project
Pursuant to the Amended Memorandum of Agreement

December 31, 2004

This report covers events surrounding the African Burial Ground (ABG) Project for the period of October   through December 2004.

Introduction

The activities for this reporting period include ongoing work to complete the technical reports and the continuing coordination regarding the Exterior Memorial and Interpretive Center for the site. A brief list of meetings, telephone conferences, etc., held during this reporting period is provided as Appendix A.
 

Activities of the Reporting Period

Education/Outreach (OPEI)
 
Below is a summary of OPEI activities, compiled from previously submitted monthly reports, for the months of October, November and December 2004.

During this period, the OPEI presented site tours, films, and information sessions to a total of 2,800 individuals (541 individuals at the 290 Broadway Information Desk; 2,220 members of 48 organizations and 39 researchers at the Reading Library at 201 Varick Street). The OPEI also distributed educational materials (educational portfolios, newsletters, bookmarks, press kits, art work brochures etc.) as detailed below:
 

Materials Summary:

In addition to the above material, a total of 76 Press Kits were distributed in October, November and December 2004.

The OPEI office participated in a number of activities in this quarter. In October, as part of the commemoration of the 1st Anniversary of the Reinterment, the OPEI office distributed 600 educational portfolios and 65 press kits to the approximately 375 people in attendance. In November, the OPEI office sponsored the 5th Annual “Giving Thanks” Tribute and distributed 45 agendas and 55 volunteer flyers to the approximately 65 people in attendance. For Kwanzaa, the OPEI office participated pre-Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa celebrations and distributed a total of 270 agendas, 227 educational portfolios, and 36 reburial brochures. Approximately 400 people attended the Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration, which included performances by the McDonald’s Gospel Choir of Newark, New Jersey and the St. Augustine’s School Choir and Dance Team. Four press organizations covered the Kwanzaa events, including WNBC-TV news, WABC news, WBAI- Radio and New York Newsday.
 
   
Interpretive Center (National Park Service)
 
The NPS held a working session on November 5-6 with the African Burial Ground Project researchers from Howard University as well as other historians, physical anthropologists and archaeologists. The session contributed to the NPS planning effort by providing an opportunity for the NPS to further explore the meaning, significance and relevance of the African Burial Ground. The discussions and presentations will inform the NPS Interpretation Plan and Management Alternatives Report to GSA.
 
   
Exterior Memorial (National Park Service)
 
At the conclusion of the five Public Forums in June, the five finalist designers spent two months revising their proposals based upon the public comment provided at the five Public Forums.
 
Throughout September, copies of the revised designs were on view for written public comment at six locations throughout New York City. Those not able to view the exhibited designs were able to view and evaluate the five competing designs on GSA’s African Burial Ground website and offer comments electronically.

Following the closing of the exhibition of the five competing design proposals, held at six locations throughout New York City and at the African Burial Ground website, NPS staff transcribed the public comment received from September 7th through October 8th. NPS received 575 response forms, 108 of which resulted from the on-line posting, and prepared a comprehensive comment booklet for each design, cross-referenced to allow for comments to be linked back to their source documents.

From October 19th through the 21st, the Source Selection Evaluation Board met with the Memorial Advisors and the recently-appointed Project Advisors, who are experts on structural engineering, materials conservation, horticulture, landscape design, and site security, to hear formal presentations from the competing design teams and evaluate the relative merit of the proposals. Results of the solicitation of public comments were distributed to the SSEB and the Memorial Advisors in preparation for a follow-up meeting/conference call held on November 9th.

By the end of November, each of the Source Selection Evaluation Board members had written a detailed five-part evaluation of the final design submissions. In early December, these evaluations were compiled and issued as the final report of the SSEB to the Source Selection Authority.
 
   
Technical Studies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Howard University)
 
The research teams have completed the History and Skeletal Biology final report and have provided the final versions to GSA. The reports are being reviewed and accepted. It is anticipated that copies of the report will initially be available for review at the OPEI office and through the website (www.africanburialground.gov) in the next quarter.

Work on the Archaeology report is ongoing. The final report is anticipated for review in Spring 2005.
   
 
Archives Project (U.S. Army Corp of Engineers)
 
Coordination with the Schomburg Center to standardize the methods used in processing the African Burial Ground Archives collection continued. Processing plans, which are guides that outline the way in which a collection shall be organized, were sent to the Schomburg Center for review. Comments were received from the Center and their concerns were addressed in the final plan. The processing of the Cobb Laboratory, Howard University, Record Group and the Corps’ MCX Record Group began in October. The Cobb Laboratory Records consist of both basic laboratory records (e.g., equipment lists, photograph logs, data entry logs) and the burial files. The laboratory records are finished and the burial files are currently being processed. Protocols for dealing with the large amount of photographic material in the Cobb Laboratory Record Group have also been established. The Corps’ MCX Record Group, which consists of records generated by the Corps during the consultation, inventory, and reinterment processes, has also been processed. A lexicon of terms unique to each record group has also been compiled. This list will be augmented with every record group that is processed. It will provide a guide to terminology unique to the project. The Corps also responded to several reference requests on the material being temporarily stored in St. Louis during this processing period, including a request by Howard Wright for access to the Steering Committee tapes.
 
 
   

Appendix A

Timeline of Meetings and Telephone Conferences conducted by
the ABG Project Team

 October – December 2004