Road Trip Close to Home: Weeksville Heritage Center

A trip to Crown Heights in Brooklyn allows visitors to experience the history of one of the first free Black communities from the 19th century.

News 12 Staff

Feb 17, 2022, 6:15 PM

Updated 1,028 days ago

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A trip to Crown Heights in Brooklyn allows visitors to experience the history of one of the first free Black communities from the 19th century. 
Weeksville Heritage Center has opened a new exhibit, "In Pursuit of Freedom," which tells the story of Weeksville using pictures, slides and short films. 
Dr. Raymond Codrington, president and CEO at the center, says the exhibit tells the story of the historic community. 
“The exhibit really looks at the emergence of Weeksville as a historic community, its place in Brooklyn and the role that it played in anti-slavery and abolition movements,” says Codrington. 
The Weeksville community was built in 1838 with its own schools, churches, mutual aid societies, an orphanage and a newspaper. 
More than 180 years after it was founded, Weeksville remains a historic location in Brooklyn. 
Staff hope exhibits like "In Pursuit of Freedom" will give visitors the information they need to not just celebrate Black culture, but also to spark conversation.