Allison Keyes

President Obama spoke Wednesday at the formal groundbreaking for the Smithsonian's newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The museum, Obama said, has been "a long time coming" and will serve "not just as a record of tragedy, but as a ...

Emerging from the shadow of the Washington Monument, civil rights groups marched to the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on Saturday. The crowd rallied on the eve of the new memor...

New York, NY —

In 1943, Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille moved to Corona, Queens. Lucille found their house, bought it and decorated it before her husband had ever even seent it. Though he was world famous, Armstrong loved the working class neighborhood where they lived, in what ...

New York, NY —

In New York today, hundreds of people are expected to turn out to welcome the return of the remains of more than 400 bodies removed from an African Burial Ground during the 1991 construction of a federal office building. NPR's Allison Keyes reports on the ...

New York, NY —

In New York City, plans are being finalized for a ceremony this fall commemorating the reburial of hundreds of men, women, and children removed from a huge African burial ground near City Hall.

New York, NY —

There was a memorial rally set for Saturday in Crown Heights to honor slain City Councilman James E. Davis. Davis was shot to death Wednesday by a political opponent inside New York's City Hall. The attack has sparked changes in security, and turned a re-election ...

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Nine years after author Ralph Ellison died in his Harlem apartment, a monument has been erected in his honor on Riverside Drive. The design is meant to illustrate the basic premise of his novel, Invisible Man, a portrait of the struggles of a Black man ...

New York, NY —

Twelve years after Yankel Rosenbaum was killed in race riots that erupted in Crown Heights, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict. It was Limerick Nelson's third trial. Nelson this time admitted stabbing Rosenbaum--but said he was drunk and caught up in the confusion after ...

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For the first time in many years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has mounted an exhibit of African American Art. The show spans the years from 1929 to 1945, and includes prints, drawings and paintings -- some by artists whose names are unknown to mainstream ...

New York, NY —

Its not all that unusual to hear the clip clop of hooves on the streets of New York - be it from the carriage horses in Central Park or police officers on horseback.
But in parts of Brooklyn and Queens - the sound often comes from ...

New York, NY —

Independence Party founder Tom Golisano is running for Governor of New York against the incumbent - Republican George Pataki - and Democrat Carl McCall. It is Golisano's third try. WNYC's Allison Keyes profiles the billionaire businessman.

Tom Golisano -- the son of Italian immigrants -- ...

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A federal judge has ruled that Silverstein Properties - the leaseholder on the World Trade Center site - cannot collect twice for the September 11th attacks. In a case involving three of more than 20 insurance companies - the judge ruled that the attack was ...

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In the wake of the September 11th attacks, New York City launched the largest mental health campaign in the country. Organizers were hoping to reach out to the millions who were traumatized by the attacks and offer them counseling. But a year later, despite studies ...

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In the weeks after the September 11th attacks, relatives of the victims began to form support groups to help deal with their grief and trauma. Now, if you search 9-11 families on the internet -- you'll come up with more than 420 thousand matches. Several ...

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After hours, the streets of lower Manhattan often feel desolate and shutdown. Even before the horrific attacks of September 11th, the financial district was not a 24-hour community, but a place for millions of people to go to work.

Now, community advocates and some politicians ...

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They are nicknamed frankenfish – which may sound like something out of a Saturday nigth live skit. But Snakehead fish are real. They made national headlines earlier this month when they were found to be breeding in a Maryland pond where they'd been dumped. Now ...

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Yesterday, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority released six proposals for the site where the World Trade Center used to stand. Many of the plans contain similar elements, including 1500-foot structures such as antenas or sculptures. And four of them would build ...

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It's a question we've all asked ourselves over the last 10 months: When is increased safety worth the inconvenience of longer lines at airports, baseball stadiums, or government buildings? Many feel that beefed up security measures are well worth relatively minor annoyances. But, one group ...

Fort Greene, Brooklyn —

Others, once considered dangerous places where criminals ran amok, are now bohemian habitats for hip artists. In Brooklyn's Fort Greene-Clinton Hill area, the growing pains have caused some tension between those who've just discovered the neighborhood, and long-time residents. WNYC's Allison Keyes reports.

On the corner ...

Brooklyn, NY —

Today – (Wedneday)- the National Historic Landmark is being honored with a birthday party at the Astroland Amusement Park. WNYC's Allison Keyes spent a few days riding the rails … and talking to fellow roller coaster lovers.

There are two types of people who can usually be ...