History Lesson at Cypress Hills Cemetery by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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Bearing flowers, Naomi King went on a Black History Month tour of Cypress Hills Cemetery last week.

Myeisha Nixon stared at the elaborate gravestone for jazz great Eubie Blake as she listened to a brief lecture about his numerous accomplishments.

"It's fun and exciting to learn about new things," said the bubbly 10-year-old as she walked through Cypress Hills Cemetery last week to hear about the famous African-Americans buried on its sprawling grounds.

But the unusual setting made the trip a little more exciting - and eerie, she admitted.

"They can stack graves on top of each other!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening, when she learned that coffins in family plots are sometimes stacked.

The group of Brooklyn youngsters went on the tour as part of a Black History Month celebration organized by Assemblyman Darryl Towns (D-Brooklyn) and Cypress Hills Cemetery.

The cemetery has embarked on a campaign to celebrate its famous permanent residents, which include a number of African-American trailblazers.

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson is buried there, along with writer and historian Arturo Schomburg and Charlotte Ray, the first female African-American lawyer in the nation.

Taliayah Rios, 11, and Marianny Rodriguez, 10, left flowers at the gravesites of Charlotte Ray and Wallace Turnage, a slave whose thrilling story of escape was detailed in the book "A Slave No More."

"I thought it would be really creepy to come here," said Marianny. "But it's fun and interesting."

Towns said he was amazed to discover the rich history in Cypress Hills, a 210 acre site that straddles Brooklyn and Queens.

"I had lived in the community for over 40 years and never knew the treasures we had in Cypress Hills," said Towns.

"When youngsters see that these heroes chose this as their final resting place, it might make them take a second look at our community and remember it deserves respect. It's not a place where you litter and graffiti."

Stephen Duer and Allan Smith, co-authors of a book about the cemetery, served as tour guides answering questions along the route.

Some of the kids were captivated by the colorful, heartbreaking memorials and headstones for infants.

"We're a monument-loving society," said Duer. "In my opinion, every stone in a cemetery is a monument to a life lived and has a story to tell."

Crowley Hosts Local Black History Month Event with Guest of Honor U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder

Nearly 1,000 7^th Congressional District Residents Join in Event to Honor Local African-AmericanLeaders for Their Service to Their Community

2011 Honorees Include State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry and State Committeewoman Barbara Brown

Special Guest of Honor U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. and Congressman Crowley

On Thursday, February 17^th, Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) hosted a Black History Month event with special guest The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., U.S. Attorney General. Nearly 1,000 7^th Congressional District residents gathered at the Dreiser Loop Auditorium in Co-op City to hear Attorney General Holder speak and to honor two local community leaders, State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry and State Committeewoman Barbara Brown.

Holder, who was raised in Queens and is the first African-American to serve as the U.S. Attorney General, spoke to his vision for a more equitable future based on the lessons of our shared history.

“Black History Month is a time to pay tribute to the rich history of African-Americans and to look ahead to ways we can all work together to build stronger communities and a stronger nation,” said Congressman Crowley. “As a son of New York, a product of our city’s schools and community, and a history maker in his own right, Attorney General Holder is truly an inspiration to us all and I am honored to welcome him to New York’s 7^th Congressional District for this very special and meaningful event.”

left to right, event honoree State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, Attorney General Holder, event honoree State Committeewoman Barbara Brown, and Congressman Crowley

During the event, Crowley recognized two outstanding community leaders as this year’s honorees: State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry and State Committeewoman Barbara Brown. Crowley acknowledged Assemblyman Aubry’s tireless efforts to improve the way we treat drug addiction and his 18 years of service to the people of Queens as a member of the State Assembly. Highlighting her lifelong dedication to her community, Crowley recognized Committeewoman Brown for her role as a social activist and community advocate, and for her commitment to serving residents and families of the Bronx.

“What makes our country great is the strength of our communities and the values of civility and virtue that all of this year’s honorees have dedicated their lives to,” said Crowley. “Assemblyman Aubry, Committeewoman Brown, and our guest of honor, Attorney General Holder, have each made a lifelong commitment to improving their communities and to promoting compassion and understanding in their neighbors,” said Crowley. “Their efforts serve as a guiding light as we work together to build a better future for all.”

Attendees at the event were treated to performances by local talent including the Tillers Liturgical Dance Ministry and the Combined Choir, both of the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona. The invocation was led by Rev. Dr. Robert A. Smith Jr., Church of the Savior, and the benediction by Rev. Sheldon E. Williams, Co-op City Baptist Church.

Crowley has hosted an annual Black History Month event every year since 2000. To read Congressman Crowley’s remarks from this year’s Black History Month event, please click here.

Congressman Crowley is the seven-term representative from the 7^th Congressional District of New York, which includes sections of Queens and the Bronx. He is a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and serves as a Chief Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives.

Cypress Hills Cemetery in Queens Touting Itself as Final Resting Place for Many Black Celebrities by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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Flags adorn graves at Cypress Hills Cemetery.

A graveyard might seem an unlikely place to celebrate the illustrious lives of local heroes.

But the operators of Cypress Hills Cemetery say its picturesque and sprawling grounds - the final resting place for more than a dozen prominent African-Americans - is the perfect destination for the commemoration of Black History Month.

There are baseball legend Jackie Robinson, renowned musician and composer Eubie Blake, as well as writer and historian Arturo Schomburg.

But the cemetery also the final resting place of lesser-known 19th-century trailblazers, such as James McCune Smith, an abolitionist who was also the first African-American to obtain a medical degree in the United States, and Charlotte Ray, the first female African-American lawyer in the nation.

"These are some very important people who have really contributed to the history of America," said Patrick Russo, office manager at Cypress Hills Cemetery, which straddles the Brooklyn-Queens border.

Cemetery officials are planning to celebrate this rich history and raise awareness with a new colorful map and booklet that highlights its famous denizens.

It comes on the heels of a book published last year that provides an in-depth look at the cemetery, its history and unique monuments.

"Green-Wood and Woodlawn are viewed as the big boys of the cemetery world, but there are so many others not as well-known," said Stephen Duer, one of the authors of "Images of America: Cypress Hills Cemetery."

The cemetery is also unique because unlike many other burial grounds where African-Americans graves are found on designated lots, they are scattered through its 210 acres.

Duer and co-author Allan Smith worked with cemetery officials to identify more than 75 notable people of all backgrounds.

"That's only through some surface research," said Duer. "It's like a treasure hunt."

Another notable African-American buried at Cypress Hills is Wallace Turnage, a former slave whose path to freedom was detailed in the recent book "A Slave No More" by David Blight, a Yale University professor.

In September, cemetery officials joined historians and family members to honor McCune Smith with a new headstone. Some of his descendants had learned about their historic connection only in recent years.

Greta Blau, who is white, discovered her ancestry when she learned about McCune Smith during a African-American studies class at Hunter College. His was a familiar name included in a family Bible.

"I am so proud to have that kind of legacy," said Antoinette Martignoni, Blau's 92-year-old grandmother who is the great-granddaughter of McCune Smith. "Imagine sharing those genes! It's been very exciting."

Russo said he hopes more people see Cypress Hills, and all cemeteries, as places for learning.

"They are a great educational tool for Black History Month and the rest of the year," said Russo. "There are so many important people here and in every cemetery. You just have to investigate."

Cypress Hills cemetery is at 833 Jamaica Ave. For more information on the cemetery and its publications, call (718) 277-2900 or check its website at www.cypresshillscemetery.org.