A virtual tour of NYC Black history – through the corridors of City Hall
Just inside the south entrance of New York City Hall, a bronze statue of George Washington stands contrapposto on a raised pedestal, solemnly gazing above all who enter.
It’s one of the many statues and paintings of white men in City Hall that Kamau Ware takes note of during a tour he leads on a recent afternoon – reminders of "who's not present."
"People gave their literal lives to fight against enslavement, but they don't get the statues or the street names, or often the movies, either,” Ware said.
The 48-year-old artist and historian was leading one of his Black history tours: the inspiration for a documentary he released earlier this month, with support from the city Public Design Commission.
The planned three-part series is titled “EPICENTER: The Black Experience Through the Eyes of City Hall,” and the recently released documentary is called “The Grounds.”
Reporter Arya Sundaram of the newsroom's Race and Justice Unit has our story.
