CALL TO ACTION - SAVE THE FLATBUSH AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND by the New York African Burial Ground Alliance [NYBGA] 

To Endorse : https://forms.gle/f1KFeJxndhempFEVA

The New York African Burial Ground Alliance (NYBGA) is convened by The Black Freedom Project, Brooklyn Movement Center, Circle for Justice Innovations, Equality for Flatbush, Friends of Abolitionist Place, and GrowHouse NYC.

The New York African Burial Ground Alliance (NYBGA) is a Black-led grassroots New York  formation fighting to reclaim community control of African Burial Grounds across New York State. 

Save The Flatbush African Burial Ground Project is focused on saving the African burial ground at the intersection  of Church and Bedford Avenues, from the hands of the City of New York under the DeBlasio Administration, The NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC),  and The Flatbush African Burial Ground Remembrance and Redevelopment Task Force (headed by politicians Eric Adams and Mathieu Eugene), and put it under the control and decision-making power of the African-American, Caribbean and other Flatbush residents of African Descent.  

OUR FIVE MAIN GOALS ARE TO: 

1. 
   STOP the City of New York from orchestrating further gentrification in Flatbush, through plans such as ‘The Church/Flatbush Corridor Project’ and ‘The Flatbush African Burial Ground Remembrance and Redevelopment Task Force’. We know it is an inevitable fact that both plans contribute and will lead to the displacement of hundreds  more Flatbush residents.
2. PREVENT the City of New York from hiring predatory developers who can potentially build commercial, and/or luxury MIH housing, which guarantees skyrocketed rent increases for all of the neighboring tenants and small businesses.
3. SECURE the community control and decision-making power of African-descendent Flatbush residents in ownership, planning and stewardship, and public usage of the site and land.
4. ENSURE the protection of this landmarked lot and guarantee it functions as an accessible place of tribute to the enslaved Africans whose bones remain as part of the land.
5. RE-APPROPRIATE the site and surrounding land to serve the cultural, communal and spiritual needs of African-American, Caribbean and other residents of African Descent living in Flatbush. 

Ultimately, we view The Flatbush African Burial Ground Remembrance and Redevelopment Task Force and it’s partnership with city agencies like HPD, EDC, etc.  as a rezoning struggle that is shamelessly using our enslaved Black ancestors as a cover for their plan to further gentrify Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Like The Department of City Planning (DCP), The NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC)  has been a foot soldier in ushering in gentrification and the permanent displacement of thousands of people from historically Black and Brown neighborhoods. Both Eric Adams and Mathieu Eugene have long well-documented histories of working closely with predatory developers and taking real estate industry money.

OUR CALL TO ACTION:

• Calling on All Black, Indigenous, Brown and Progressive white organizations, activists and individuals to sign on as endorsers.
• Participate in Organizing Meetings, Working Groups, Rallies, Social Media Campaigns and Direct Actions.
• To expose the lies and tell the truth of the City of New York’s plan to further the rampant gentrification of Flatbush, Brooklyn  and New York state as a whole.

OUR DEMANDS- For the City of New York, HDP, the EDC and all agencies involved to:

• Stop all development plans- Including but not limited to Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Presentations of Recommendations from any developers, companies or non-profit organizations.
• Issue a public statement- Announcing the halt of all development plans for the African Burial Ground site, and notify all current partners in any development plans of the halt of all development plans.

To Endorse : https://forms.gle/f1KFeJxndhempFEVA