Recapping our successes
This past year saw terrific developments with AMERICAN GRAVEYARD. First, we’d like to thank the Staten Island Foundation, the Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund, and the New York State Council on the Arts for their generous funding, as well as our fiscal sponsors, Talking Eyes Media and City Lore. We also had wonderful funders step forward to graciously help us continue with this project. Please know that we appreciate your support, as it not only keeps the work going, but is validation that what we are doing is worthwhile.
We also want to let everyone know that Santander Bank came through in their promise to memorialize the site. After a year of negotiating with the property owner, they finally received the ok to hire local landscapers Wiesner Brothers to install an irrigation system and plant a garden that includes weeping cherry trees in honor of Cherry Lane. Santander also paid for a 6,000lb memorial boulder chosen by descendant David Thomas. On it is affixed a plaque where David wrote about the site’s history. The celebration took place on August 24th, with friends and relatives of the Prines and Crowleys, whose families had been buried at the site. We filmed the garden in its various phases, from its initial state through the plantings to its unveiling, with cooperation from the families, the Wiesner Brothers, and Santander Bank.
NYS Assemblymember Michaelle Solages and City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks also attended the unveiling. ASM Solages has been an advocate for the site since we first interviewed her in 2023, and was part of an Assemblymember tour of the site we filmed last December. And Livermore Ave was co-named “Benjamin Prine Way” in 2023 thanks to Councilmember Hanks. A month after the unveiling, Ms Hanks introduced the Benjamin Prine Act, which, if passed, will require the city to identify, protect, and preserve African-American burial grounds across the five boroughs. In addition, Councilmember Hanks chairs the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions—stay tuned for more developments on that front.
As the story grows, so does the film. We’ve changed the title from STATEN ISLAND GRAVEYARD to AMERICAN GRAVEYARD, as Cherry Lane’s fate is shared by countless cemeteries across the country, not just on Staten Island.
We also want Cherry Lane to be the entrance point into a larger discussion on Black history in the U.S. What systems were put into place that allowed people to seize Cherry Lane, with no care given toward the interred, which included babies and children? The seizure took place in 1954, but it didn’t happen overnight.
In addition, our two leads, David Thomas and his sister, Ruth Ann Hills, met with historian Debbie-Ann Paige and archivist Gabriella Leone at the Staten Island Museum to learn about Cherry Lane’s history, and also Staten Island’s crucial role in the maritime and slave trade. “Every single ship, whether you are national or international, is docked here on Staten Island 3-10 days, depending on what the circumstances are. You can't even get to lower Manhattan without stopping here on Staten Island,” said Debbie-Ann.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited about the artistry that will be added to the film. Since no photos or illustrations exist of the cemetery, nor of the church that once stood at Cherry Lane, local artist Lazarus Nazario is curating multidisciplinary artists to create their own vision of Cherry Lane. We will announce the names once all is in place, but right now these artworks range from surrealistic, to figurative watercolor, to historic storytelling, and audio installations. We will be filming the artists in their studios as they create their works, with the final works to be shown at an exhibit and on film.
We’re also still working to learn more and more about what happened at Cherry Lane. Was its church torn down by vandals, as recounted by local historian William T. Davis in Homestead Graves? Also, in the 1800s there were so many Black families on Staten Island that there were at least six AME churches. What happened to these families? Where did they go and why? The answers to these questions will lead to more discoveries to be recorded on film—a history uncovered before our eyes. And it will also reveal history rarely told—like how the institution of slavery existed in the North, and that the 1863 NYC draft riots made it all the way to Staten Island.
We’re forever grateful to the support that each of you have given while we’ve been chronicling this journey. We’ll keep you posted as more develops this year. We also hope you like the new look of our site along with behind-the-scenes photos and upcoming videos. We’ll be rolling out starting this month. And if you’re able to support the film financially, you can reach us via the contact page or at canvasback.kid1@gmail.com and learn how to make a tax-deductible donation. Looking forward to keeping in touch in 2025.
With much appreciation,
Heather Quinlan
