Before, there was Seneca Village! (2025)

On October 25, 2025, the Central Park Conservancy invited community members to join us in the historic Seneca Village landscape in Central Park for a performance that transported them back to Seneca Village in 1845. Interpretive music, dance, and spoken word brought to life a world where Black New Yorkers built their own homes, churches, and a school, exploring how Andrew Williams's and others’ 1825 land purchase evolved into a thriving community.

Featured Performers:

• DeWitt Fleming, Jr., Broadway performer
• Alphonso Horne, musician
• Mikumari Caiyhe, spoken word artist

This event is part of Seneca Village: Toward a Permanent Commemoration, an ongoing program series funded by the Mellon Foundation. The program series will culminate in a community-informed framework guiding the future design of a permanent commemoration of Seneca Village in Central Park.