David Felsen Discusses New York City Monuments of Black Americans: A History and Guide with Che Powell
Clinton Hill Branch Library welcomes author David Felsen to discuss his new book New York City Monuments of Black Americans: A History and Guide. He will be in conversation with John T. Reddick.
New York City is blessed with an incredible array of public sculptures.
One overlooked aspect of this collection is its monuments of Black Americans, each with its own remarkable story. The first appearance of a Black person in a city monument came in the Civil War Soldiers’ Monument in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery in 1876, but this was a nameless symbolic figure. It wasn’t until 1945 that Booker T. Washington became the first identifiable Black American honored in a New York City monument. In 2007, the city dedicated its first monument to a Black woman, Harriet Tubman. Behind every first is a story of triumph over adversity and exclusion. Local author David Felsen reveals the stories behind thirty inspiring monuments that have endured, as well as how they found their place in the city’s history.
Please RSVP in advance—pre-registration is required. Confirm your registration day-of at the Info Desk.
PARTICIPANT
David Felsen is an Emmy Award Winning producer who teaches American history to eleventh graders at Avenues: The World School in New York City. He has an MA in American history from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and a bachelor’s degree in history from Haverford College. Before becoming a history teacher, David produced television documentaries for HBO, PBS and History, among others. He lives in Brooklyn near Prospect Park with his wife, his son and a dog and a cat.
Che Powell is a Pratt Institute graduate, where they earned their Master of Science degree in Urban Placemaking and Management. In their current position as an intern at the Central Park Conservancy, Powell is contributing to ongoing research and efforts around commemoration and preservation of the Seneca Landscape within Central Park. Originally from Georgia, they’ve made New York City their home, where they continue to research Placemaking from an urban lens using the city as a research tool. In 2025, their master’s degree research earned them the Stuart K. Pertz Award for Urban Placemaking and Management from Pratt Institute, highlighting their unique approach to Placemaking. Their earlier degree in Anthropology from Georgia State University also shapes the unique perspective that they bring to the study of Placemaking, adding depth beyond the traditional route. Their insight into monuments, their meaning and influence, comes from a layered angle, shaped by their experience and diverse perspectives.
