Make a statement in this soft cotton sweatshirt custom made by us. The Never Forget Collection pays homage to destroyed Black communities like Seneca Village. Central Park, one of the most notable tourist attractions in New York City sits on land that once belonged to a thriving Black community. Seneca Village was a refuge for both free and self liberated Black folk who escaped to the north seeking independence and communion. Complete with churches and a school, the village only grew over time, creating tension with racist whites in surrounding areas who saw the progressive community as a nuisance far greater than slavery. Home to notable abolitionist and Underground Railroad Conductor Albro Lyons, Seneca Village was a stop along the route to freedom for the enslaved. This came to an end after wealthy whites in surrounding areas conspired to destroy the village to relieve overcrowding in the city caused by the constant influx of poor white immigrants. The residents of Seneca Village were displaced when their home was condemned and knowledge of the existence of the village faded with time until a memorial plaque was erected almost 150 years later. Let us never forget the true beacon of American liberty in NYC.