Black Oystermen of New York Harbor s+6
at The Seaport Museum

Join the Seaport Museum and the Sandy Ground Historical Society for a fascinating exploration of one of New York City’s earliest free Black communities and the maritime industry that helped it thrive.

Presented by the Director of the Sandy Ground Historical Society, Julie Moody Lewis, this special lecture will examine the lives of free Black oystermen and their families during the decades before the Emancipation Proclamation. Through stories, historical context, and objects brought from the Society’s collection, you will gain a deeper understanding of what liberty and freedom looked like in a maritime city at a time when slavery had been abolished in New York but remained legal in much of the United States.

The program highlights the history of Sandy Ground, a community on Staten Island that grew rapidly in the 1840s when free Black families migrated north from Snow Hill, Maryland. Facing increasingly restrictive laws that limited African American participation in Maryland’s oyster industry, these families sought new opportunities in the oyster-rich waters of Staten Island’s Prince’s and Raritan Bays, where they established a thriving community rooted in maritime labor, entrepreneurship, and resilience.

Presented in partnership with the Sandy Ground Historical Society and connected to the Museum’s exhibition The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation, which includes a First State Department Printing of the Emancipation Proclamation on view. This program offers a powerful perspective on freedom, opportunity, and the lived experiences of Black New Yorkers during a pivotal period in American history.

Preregistration is encouraged. Walkups will be accommodated as possible. Before the program, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, attendees are invited to explore The Promise of Liberty and view this extraordinary document alongside other foundational treasures that shaped the nation. Exhibition admission is included with your free event ticket.