Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn

How did the institution of slavery build the Brooklyn we know today?

[Homestead of Cornelius Van Brunt], 1859 
James Ryder Van Brunt, artist 
Watercolor and gouache on paper
Center for Brooklyn History 

The exhibition Trace/s examines the history of slavery in Brooklyn through a combination of artwork, historical records and celebration of today's Black genealogy researchers.

While there are few firsthand testimonies from enslaved people in Brooklyn, researching the special collections at the Center for Brooklyn History offers clues to what they endured. By engaging these primary source materials, Trace/s challenges us to reckon with slavery’s impact on our borough and its people. The exhibition also celebrates the family genealogy researchers who dedicate themselves to untangling the past, honoring ancestors, building community, and enriching our collective understanding of the present.

In support of this exhibition, the Center for Brooklyn History will be offering free programs to deepen engagement with the history and themes in this exhibition, from family history research workshops to film screenings on the topic of reparations, to panel conversations that invite us to continue the conversation.

Audio: "Finding Trace/s"

"Finding Trace/s" is a companion podcast to the Center for Brooklyn History's exhibition Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn. Brooklyn-based podcast producer Ula Kulpa takes listeners behind the scenes of the making of the exhibition, using oral history excerpts, interviews with the exhibition's curators, and deep dives into the primary sources that reveal the story of slavery's impact on the borough of Brooklyn. Whether you can't make it in person to the Center for Brooklyn History, want to prepare beforehand, or want to keep learning after your visit, consider "Finding Trace/s" your immersive guide to the exhibition, from wherever you are!

"Finding Trace/s" is made possible through an internship partnership with NYU's History Department and their Archives and Public History Master's program. Special thanks to Program Director Ellen Noonan, and the podcast team at the Brooklyn Public Library for their support.