The exhibition Trace/s examines the history of slavery in Brooklyn through a combination of artwork, historical records and celebration of today’s Black genealogy researchers.

While there are few firsthand testimonies from enslaved people in Brooklyn, researching the special collections at the Center for Brooklyn History offers clues to what they endured. By engaging these primary source material, Trace/s challenges us to reckon with slavery’s impact on our borough and its people. The exhibition also celebrates the family genealogy researchers who dedicate themselves to untangling the past, honoring ancestors, building community, and enriching our collective understanding of the present.

In support of this exhibition, the Center for Brooklyn History will be offering free programs to deepen engagement with the history and themes in this exhibition, from family history research workshops to film screenings on the topic of reparations, to panel conversations that invite us to continue the conversation.

Research related topics:

• Black History Research Guide
• Family History and Genealogy Research Guide
• Agriculture Research Guide 

Learn more about the Center for Brooklyn History

Trace/s is supported as part of the Dutch Culture USA FUTURE 400 program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York, and by the Alvin and Fanny B. Thalheimer Foundation in memory of Bill Coleman.