By Stephen Witt
It’s hard to say which is more rare — a leap year or the city capitulating on a piece of property for remembrance of a sordid chapter of American history. Either way the Feb. 29 fundraiser for 227 Abolitionist Place (aka 227 Duffield Street) promises to be Brooklyn’s cause celebre event of African-American History Month. The house at the aforementioned address was built in 1848, and owned by Thomas and Harriet Lee-Truesdell, prominent abolitionists of that era. The house also holds a passageway beneath it that some believe was used as a stop on the “Underground Railroad” for escaping slaves. The city had planned to seize the property to make way for the proposed Willoughby Square, a 1.5-acre open space park along with a 770-car parking garage directly beneath it. The city deems the park and garage essential as part of the massive Downtown Brooklyn redevelopment after the area was rezoned in 2004. However, after a legal battle, the city agreed last December to save the home from the threat of eminent domain. Joy Chatel, co-owner of the house, has for some time turned it into a cultural center and envisions turning it into a cultural center/museum dedicated to the abolitionist movement, similar to Cincinnati’s Freedom Center, which Oprah Winfrey supported. “You don’t tear it [the house] down and put up a plaque,” said Chatel. “Our children need to see it, feel it, smell it and walk through what all of our ancestors went through.” Chatel noted the strong and documented white contribution to the abolitionist movement at a time when New York State was the second largest slaveholding state. “We can bring everyone’s mind of what the Underground Railroad was all about. This was the first non-violent civil disobedience act, and it combined the efforts of whites and blacks,” said Chatel. Chatel noted that whites were treated worse for harboring escaping slaves and were sometimes killed for it. “We [blacks] were merchandise so we were valuable, but the people harboring us were a hazard. It was a wonderful undertaking of humanity and people need to know it,” she said. The fundraiser with a suggested $100 donation is being held between 7-10 p.m. at the Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery at 334 Grand Avenue between Greene and Gates Avenues. Danny Simmons’ brothers are hip-hop and clothing mogul Russell Simmons, and Joseph (Rev. Run) Simmons of the pioneering rap group Run DMC. “It [the fundraiser] is very important and we’re trying to reach out to celebrities – especially celebrities who were born in Brooklyn,” said Chatel. For more information on the fundraiser, call 643-1385 or log onto www.myspace.com/227abolitionistplace.
