Central Park

This guide to Central Park in New York City traces the ground beneath its manicured lawns back to Seneca Village, a Black landowning community founded in 1825 by residents like Andrew Williams, at a time when owning property carried the right to vote. You'll hear how the community grew over three decades into churches, schools and homes, and what happened when the city decided it needed a park. The guide follows the lawsuits, the compensation disputes, and the language newspapers used against residents who fought to stay.