New York City is launching a volunteer project to transcribe historical records of formerly enslaved New Yorkers, led by Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Records & Information Services. The effort aims to digitize records from 1660 to 1827, creating a resource for researchers and citizens to explore their family history. The initiative underlines the importance of understanding the city's past, with Mayor Adams stating that acknowledging history is crucial for building a better future. Volunteers will use a transcription platform to aid the project, which promises to provide invaluable insights into the legacy of slavery in the city.
"We cannot build a better, brighter future without first acknowledging and accepting our past," the mayor said. "This ambitious project allows everyday New Yorkers to understand the history of enslaved people who shaped our city into what it is today."
The first phase of the transcription project will make available records documenting enslaved people in New York City, and subsequent phases we'll be adding more records, according to DORIS Commissioner Pauline Toole.
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