Travelbiz E-Zine
7
February
2023

NEW YORK CITY COMMEMORATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH LAUNCH OF FILM CELEBRATING BLACK LIVES IN EARLY NEW YORK

#Traveltradetogether

NYC & Company, the Black Gotham Experience and New York City Public Design Commission Launch “Epicenter, The Grounds: The Black Experience Through the Eyes of City Hall”.

Also in Celebration of Black History Month, NYC & Company Launches New Content on The Black Experience in NYC, “Rising Stars of the Black Community”.

NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, is proud to support today’s launch of a new film tour highlighting NYC’s early Black history, created by the Black Gotham Experience in conjunction with New York City Public Design Commission.

The new film, Epicenter, The Grounds: The Black Experience Through the Eyes of City Hall,” celebrates the achievements, struggles and the historical resonance of the African diaspora’s impact on NYC within the built environment of City Hall. Black culture is integral to the identity of NYC, the city with the largest Black population in the United States—making up nearly a quarter of residents—and its influence can be felt across the five boroughs in many forms. The new film tour is now available at nycgo.com/bgx and nyc.gov/designcommission.

“I am thrilled to see this historical narrative shared with New Yorkers and beyond. This is a historic moment of recognition—“Epicenter, The Grounds: The Black Experience Through the Eyes of City Hall” presents a lens through which to understand the critical yet undervalued history of the African diaspora in the making of City Hall and New York City,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic & Workforce Development. “The contributions of Black New Yorkers will not be buried, and we are committed to continuing to share the stories of the diverse communities that make up our great city.”

“New York City takes another critical step toward restoring suppressed narratives by establishing the Epicenter program,” said Kamau Ware, Founder, the Black Gotham Experience. “These walking tours and short film series center the African diaspora’s impact on New York City over four centuries and three City Halls. It has been an honor to work with the New York City Public Design Commission to create the first walking tour to focus exclusively on the Black experience in New York City Hall.”

“New York City’s Black communities enrich the diversity and vibrancy felt across the five boroughs, providing experiences like no other destination in the world,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. “It is essential to educate locals and visitors alike on the untold stories of early Black New Yorkers who contributed so much to our city. We commend Kamau and his important storytelling through the Black Gotham Experience and are proud to support the launch of the new Epicenter film.”

“We are proud to support the Black Gotham Experience and the New York City Public Design Commission on the momentous launch of the Epicenter film,” said Rondel Holder, SVP, Content and Diversity Initiatives at NYC & Company. “This enlightening film educates viewers on early Black history in New York City that has historically been left out of conversations but is such an integral part of our history and the city we know and love today.”

“Epicenter, the short film, is eye-opening and has had such a positive impact on my experience working in City Hall every day,” said Sreoshy Banerjea, Executive Director of the New York City Public Design Commission. “I cannot wait for others to experience the film and expand their knowledge around the African diaspora’s impact on New York City and City Hall. I look forward to working on finding ways to scale the impact the Epicenter program can have on New Yorkers.”

The 14-minute film educates viewers on Black lives in early NYC through a guided tour of City Hall. City Hall is not just the epicenter of NYC’s government, it is a portal through which to understand the history of New York, America and the world. Enslaved Africans played a critical yet underappreciated role in this history. With the Epicenter tour, Black Gotham reveals some of their stories through an interactive exploration of the African diaspora’s impact on lower Manhattan from the 1600s through the early 1800s. Participants will learn about the lives of enslaved and freed Black people under Dutch and British rule, the early days of our republic, the rebellions of 1712 and 1741, and the hidden stories of revolutionary New York.

Following a New York Emmy Award for the Freedom To Be Series, NYC & Company launched “Rising Stars of The Black Community,” featuring a handful of dynamic locals leading and cultivating culture in NYC while exemplifying the vast array of expressions within the Black experience. Rising Stars features an artist who creates beauty and sanctuary through knitting, a photographer-historian with a distinctive lens on local life, a TV network executive turned convention founder who champions Black creatives, a businessman devoted to Black entrepreneurship and economic empowerment and a Brooklyn couple—a journalist and lawyer by trade—who document Black stories and cultivate collaborative spaces.

For more ways to explore Black culture across NYC’s five boroughs, visit NYC & Company’s content hub The Black Experience in NYC, dedicated to celebrating and amplifying NYC’s Black experiences and communities.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com.

About New York City Public Design Commission:

As New York City’s design review agency, the Public Design Commission (PDC) has jurisdiction over permanent structures, landscape architecture, and art proposed on or over City-owned property. The mission of the PDC is to advocate for innovative, sustainable, and equitable design of public spaces and civic structures, with a goal of improving the public realm and therefore related services for all New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs. The PDC also acts as caretaker and curator of the City’s public art collection, which is located throughout the city’s public buildings and open spaces and maintains an extensive archive documenting the history of New York City’s public works.

Subscribe to our E-Zine

    More

    from latest edition

    Becky Hill dazzles Irish trade partners with Iconic performance at Marella Voyager Launch
    02nd June 2023

    Becky Hill dazzles Irish trade partners with Iconic performance at Marella Voyager Launch

    Becky Hill dazzles Irish guests with Iconic performance at Marella Voyager Launch
    #tuicruise #marellavoyager #travelbizconnect #traveltradetogether
    Two-time Brit Awards winner, singe...

    Read more
    Sawadee Ka from TTM in Bangkok
    02nd June 2023

    Sawadee Ka from TTM in Bangkok

    Good morning indeed from the opening day of Thai Travel Market in Bangkok held in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Today, all the great and the good from travel and media sectors ar...

    Read more
    61 RIU hotels named in Tripadvisor awards
    02nd June 2023

    61 RIU hotels named in Tripadvisor awards

    Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel platform, has announced the winners of the 2023 Travelers' Choice Awards. A total of 61 RIU hotels located in 16 different countries have been honoured wi...

    Read more
    New Route to Cincinnati on British Airways
    02nd June 2023

    New Route to Cincinnati on British Airways

    Our new route to Cincinnati begins this Monday, the 5th June. We will be the only nonstop option between the UK and Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

    We will operate 5 flights per week in summ...

    Read more
    NCL names “greatest hits radio” presenter Simon “Rossie” Ross and “Hits Radio” presenter Mike Toolan as their UK Ambassadors.
    02nd June 2023

    NCL names “greatest hits radio” presenter Simon “Rossie” Ross and “Hits Radio” presenter Mike Toolan as their UK Ambassadors.

    Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced that British radio presenters, Mike Toolan and Simon ‘Rossie’ Ross, will serve as UK Ambassadors to its fleet ...

    Read more
    Portugal united with trade and media partners.
    01st June 2023

    Portugal united with trade and media partners.

    Carlos Pinto de Oliveira (Director Visit Portugal Ireland) along with key trade partners from the Lisbon region and Madeira showcased their luxury range of products targeted at both the leisure ...

    Read more