The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA), the African Burial Ground Monument Foundation, the City of New York, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, will formally dedicate a new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument to honor the memories of the estimated 15,000 Africans buried at the original seven-acre site in the 17th and 18th centuries. The invitation-only event will feature musical performances, official remarks, libation ceremony, wreath laying and aspoken word tribute by Maya Angelou.

WHEN: Friday, October 5 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

WHERE: African Burial Ground National Monument, Duane Street between Broadway & African Burial Ground Way (Elk Street)

WHO: Lurita Alexis Doan, Administrator, General Services Administration; Dan Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park Service; Congressman Charles Rangel; Congressman Jerrold Nadler; Lt. Governor David Paterson; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Maya Angelou, Author, Actress and Activist; Dr. Adelaide Sanford, recently retired Vice Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents; Memorial Designer Rodney Léon; Edward Lewis, Founder & Chairman of Essence Communications, Inc. and African Burial Ground Monument Foundation President; Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister Emeritus of the Riverside Church and African Burial Ground Monument Foundation Treasurer; and Howard Dodson, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and African Burial Ground Monument Foundation Secretary will join other federal, state and local officials for the ceremony. Hélène-Marie Gosselin, Representative to the United Nations and Director of the UNESCO New York Office, will deliver a message from UNESCO Director General Koïchiro Matsuura. Actor Avery Brooks will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Credentialing & Check-in:

• All media, with or without NYC press credentials, MUST pre-registerfor event credentials to gain access to the dedication ceremony site. To register, please call or email Darren Boch at 212-668-2251 or Darren_Boch@nps.gov or Laini Madhubuti at 212-491-2259 orlmadhubuti@nypl.org. Registration ends at 5:00 pm on Thursday, October4. If leaving a voice or email message when registering, you MUST leave the name of the media outlet you represent, your name, as well as those of camera crews or photo journalists, and a contact phone number.
• When checking in on October 5, media who have pre-registered must present a valid photo ID and/or NYC press credential indicating what organization they work for in order to receive their credential.
• Press check-in for the 11:00 am, October 5 dedication will be at the northeast corner of Broadway and Duane near the security pavilion for 26 Federal Plaza. Check-in begins at 9:00 am and will end at 10:30 am. Media must check-in to receive an event credential and will not be granted access without one. Please allow time for security screening, including K-9 inspection.
• All media granted a credential must remain in their designated press area during the ceremony. Only media credentialed to do so will beallowed to enter the memorial site itself to film and/or photograph the wreath laying ceremony.