Watch a conversation about the experiences of the Black communities who lived and worked in New Amsterdam in the 17th century—and who ultimately changed the city. Under Dutch colonial rule, enslaved Black people in Manhattan lived alongside free and “half-free” Black people who sometimes owned land and property and had legal rights. Many lived in a village north of the city’s wall called the “Land of the Blacks,” a settlement of about 130 acres of farmland in what is now Greenwich Village and SoHo.

Kamau Ware and Russell Shorto discuss the complex aspects of Black life in New Amsterdam, race relationships governed by the Dutch West India Company, and the legacies of slavery in New York City today.

Live From New Amsterdam is an ongoing series hosted by the New Netherland Institute and the New Amsterdam Project at the New-York Historical Society. Through vibrant conversations with scholars and historians, each program will investigate new and exciting research related to New Amsterdam, New Netherland, and the lasting legacies of Dutch rule in New York.

Kamau Ware is an award-winning visual artist and historian based in New York City. In 2010, he founded the Black Gotham Experience (BGX), which utilizes art and walking tours to illustrate the impact of the African Diaspora in New York City.