Seneca Village: The Williams Family Legacy

During the first half of the 19th century, what is now Central Park's perimeter from West 82nd to West 89th Street was home to Seneca Village, a community of predominantly African-Americans, many of whom owned property. The Central Park Conservancy explores the history of Seneca Village by speaking to historians and Ariel Williams, a descendant of Seneca Village resident Andrew Williams.
Read more about the Rediscovery and Research of Seneca Village: bit.ly/3ufAi03
The mission of the Central Park Conservancy is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from the pace and pressures of city life, enhancing the enjoyment and wellbeing of all.
Learn more about our work here: bit.ly/3psB7N3
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[@imhuemankeepURcolorsforcrayons]

Never tell my ppl to pick themselves up by they boot straps, because when we do; you do things like this.

[@Bbmangood]

Seriously this happened well over 100 years ago and you can’t tell me that Black people cannot rise from nothing and become something you see it every day so don’t say things like never tell my people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps

[@devogrant2817]

@@Bbmangood Dude do your homework this was not just once or twice ....we have been terrorised out of property and land ,with Seneca we were not given the market value ,the thirteen and fifteen amendment say it all !!!!

[@Sean-jc6cu]

Lmao

[@ms.andrea172]

Amen!

[@nct127discographyisflawles7]

and it’s a lie. making rich pay taxes is real

[@jisellee1615]

My Grandma Is The Lil Baby In The Picture with her father Andrew williams the 2nd And When I Tell you I'm InLove With Our History It's so Unbelievable

[@designsewncreate]

THIS DARK PART OF HISTORY needs a major box office movie. Told from the narrative of our best writers, producers and directors, with a brilliant cast of actors and (new comers). No details should be redacted. Tell every story of every man, woman and child from the foundation of the village to the building and finishing of the Central Park.

[@_Mr.Tuvok_]

His resourcefulness perfectly illustrates the generational destruction of slavery. This man was free and was able to establish generational wealth and success.

[@melaninlake5959]

Just like my great great great grandfather before, I’m a musician, Williams family stand tall and be proud of who you are and where you came from!

[@angellovedove]

Im here cousin

[@Imlastudios]

The government knows who the children are n their children from this Williams tree. Williams is honorable name of power n resources connected to greatness n the blood line can not be stopped !

[@EpicRealistTV]

This is amazing, yet sad. That whole family should be compensated enough so they can attain land again. SMH...

[@kameshiam1674]

Sometimes when people believe in themselves and create something for themselves, it is shut down. Success is only supposed to be for certain people. But, they can't shut everyone down. Everyone won't stop trying.

[@e-maginne]

This would make me so proud to be a Williams!

[@centralparknyc]

If you'd like to read more about Cal Jones, the Manhattan Borough Historian Emeritus featured here, please visit our website: www.centralparknyc.org/articles/5-questions-with-cal-jones

[@g00dth3m3]

my mom has an email address by that name [proud to be a williams] that she uses to communicate with our family about gatherings. I have to tell her about this post.

[@keepprayerpraisealive2558]

Manhattan lower east side was like black wall street It's record now so many of our people lost there land ,and should be compensated for all of this and really all over the world .it's true

[@DTB3378]

Irish and German immigrants were also part of Seneca village

[@moniquelacosta5170]

What Powerful History!!!

[@whitneyking410]

I’m a Williams living in the South and the Williams pride is strong! What are the odds that we could be related

[@justcallmebrian793]

That is a hard one since these people are descendant of enslaved people in New York, and New York abolished slavery earlier than the seed south around 1825, I believe

[@freedomisthechoicesyoumake8594]

Not all Williams are related

[@Cbndz11]

🤦🏽‍♂️

[@lisamarts5678]

beautiful

[@cicilove9709]

Mr. Williams family should receive some compensation since the land was stolen from him! Just saying!!!

[@smokeyangelav]

He received money, just not what it was worth. This was a settlement with all races living with each other, going to church together, intermarrying. They falsified news articles to make them appear poor, dirty, and uneducated. While this likely happened disproportionally to minorities and the poor, it also happened to people with money. My family had many acres passed down the generations taken away by the government for a bombing range... they already took some previously from the family. Again, they paid, but not what it was worth. I've seen this happen in the city I'm living in to make room for expressways and to move people away from the airport. It's sad but unfortunately a symptom of population growth. I'm really glad to see that the Williams family resilience carried on.

[@harrietjones2495]

This always happens to us, these devils are always taking something from us and want to claim it as theirs everything that these white people have they right robbed and murdered to get everything that they got, but there is a God and he will repay

[@zolisamaine3518]

It's safe for other communities to integrate in African American communities and we lose ourselves. Other people gatekeep by being discriminating. This makes me proud that this family kept their Names to be traced so we can know ourselves through them too. BATHO

[@missri7323]

Wow. I’m also a musician too. That’s insane

[@SuperSpace2009]

What an amazing story!

[@michaelkhoo5846]

Great video, thank you.

[@missri7323]

My grandmother is a Williams, turned Nelson, I then married a Williams, my cousin laughed. Rita Williams, I am Rita Nelson, her namesake.

[@zaraydatrotter6985]

Amazing.

[@centralparknyc]

Thanks!

[@Soulaan]

We are truly Foundational Black Americans ❤

[@missKushite]

We are not African Americans. We are the aborigines the original people of this land. I am brown skinned not black. I am old enough to state how I really feel about the term "African American " why don't white Americans call themselves European Americans?! And this is not disrespectful to African born people, we are people of color. However we brown Americans don't look like them...we don't have the same genetics.

[@haydndouglas1732]

Because that makes no sense for starters they created the nationality american and people in Europe go by nationality just lile some Americans do.

[@theurbandailypost3851]

Have respect for your ancestors and go look up your history. Before Andrew Williams, many plots of land in what is now known as Manhattan New were owned by free black African slaves in the 1640s, who were some of the first slaves to land in New Amsterdam (former New York), from the South Western African country of Angola. Andrew Williams himself is a descendant of these people. Look up freed slave Paulo D'Angola. There are records from the oldest church ever built in New York, Dutch Reformed Church of these people being baptised and their children, as well as public records of the land they owned. Seneca village came +200 years after this.

[@keepprayerpraisealive2558]

It's also many others black family names Theres proud of it grow up in this area Many of our families names are here

[@DTB3378]

Irish and German immigrants were also part of Seneca village

[@smacwhinnie]

The landowners were compensated. Williams promptly bought land in Queens and thrived

[@cindyrissal3628]

So unfair...Andrew worked hard & bought a home & was responsible with his money, only to get kicked out & end up clear across the country... I agree its important to know where you came from...but what if you can't find them...??

[@isaiahgdavis871]

Reparations!!!

[@DTB3378]

Irish and German immigrants were also part of Seneca village

[@GRTVO]

Now New York needs to make REPARATIONS.

[@DTB3378]

Irish and German immigrants were also part of Seneca village

[@GRTVO]

@@DTB3378 Were they compensated?

[@haydndouglas1732]

@@GRTVO same as everybody else

[@GRTVO]

@@haydndouglas1732 You seem unclear.

[@BambieLashay]

@@DTB3378 immigration implies choice

[@Emmanuelh89]

Blacks always have to work 10x harder to at least have a seat at the table 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@lovelegacy500]

They're not African Americans these are Iroquois descendant's mixed with Moors. American Indians have been misclassified as African Americans.

[@TheWoodland12]

I love our history but why do y’all keep calling us african American I hate that term.

[@EpicRealistTV]

Me too... we are not all from Africa. Grrrr

[@adc2327]

What would you liked to be called? I have friends that are Chinese. Never been to China. Born and raised in the USA. They are still Chinese, proud of it. Chinese Americans, not to be confused with Chinese people that are citizens of other countries. African-American. Direct decendents of people from the continent of Africa. Not to be confused with the Black people I know born in the UK. Or maybe from Haiti. Or the ones in my family from Panama.

[@EpicRealistTV]

@@adc2327 I would rather just be called black or Native American. I have roots here in America as well as Jamaica and Trinidad.

[@TheWoodland12]

@@adc2327 I'm black not african american. the whole human race is decented from the continent of africa though. but to call us african american and not call white people european american is like saying we're outsiders and don't belong here. it also dismisses the fact that some of my ancestors are native american(indigenous) . Im just as much american as any white person.

[@adc2327]

@@TheWoodland12 Of course you are American. Anyone born here is. Born here, work here, pay taxes here, serving the country in the military, totally American. I am an old azz. My father fought in WWII. He left the south after that. After putting his life on the line for his country, he still couldn't live where he wanted. Still couldn't sit where he wanted on public transportation. Many fighting abroad, then had to do it all over again at home. I don't mind either term, Black or African American. It's your prerogative to be addressed or be called in regards to racial identity the term of your choice. That is why I asked. So right about that whole human race thing! Lol!

[@lisabolo26]

Ms. Copeland should know better! There were no "African Americans," and in fact, her name is a common American Indian surname.

[@Sean-jc6cu]

Lmao Copeland is an English name

[@smokeyangelav]

Why would you say it's not acceptable to say African American and then say American Indian?

[@keyme52525]

You are insane lol

[@keyme52525]

Just by looking at the pictures how do u still say they are Indian when you clearly can see black people 🤔

[@TheWoodland12]

american indian? you mean native americans. please once and for all let's not continue to let christopher columbus mistake continue on. my ancestors weren't indian nor american indian. they were native american aka indigenous people.

[@harrietjones2495]

Deuteronomy 32:7 remember the days of old consider the years of many generation ask thy father and he will show thee ask thy Elder and they will show tell thee, you never supposed to forget what happened to you as Black people it just makes me sick to my core when I hear anybody say oh slavery was long ago you not supposed to never ever forget what these people done to us and continue to do God said it in the Scriptures ,911 was not that long ago and they never forget it, it celebrated every year along with the rest of their pagan holidays