Podcast Summary: All Of It – A History of Free Black Brooklyn

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Preeti Kanakamedala, Professor of History, Bronx Community College
Episode Date: September 30, 2024

Overview

In this episode, Alison Stewart discusses the rich yet often overlooked history of Brooklyn's free Black communities with historian and author Preeti Kanakamedala. Drawing on her new book, "Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of Free Black Communities That Shaped a Borough," Kanakamedala traces the evolution of free Black Brooklyn from the late 18th to the 19th century. Through the lens of four key families—the Krogers, Hodges, Wilsons, and Gloucesters—the conversation explores themes of self-determination, institution-building, resistance to racism, and community legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Early Village of Brooklyn and Its Diverse Roots ([00:49]-[02:39])

• The original Brooklyn village was roughly the area of present-day DUMBO, just a square mile in size, but "packed" and culturally diverse.
  • Quote: “You had people of Dutch descent, English descent, and also people of African descent all trying to figure out how to live alongside each other. So small, but certainly still packed.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (02:21)
• The free Black population was initially small, largely due to Brooklyn’s agricultural landscape where most Black people were enslaved, but this community grew "exponentially" over time, driven by a “Black radical tradition in self-determination.”

2. Gradual Emancipation and the Evolution of Freedom ([03:23]-[07:18])

• Although New York’s Gradual Emancipation Act passed in 1799, it took 28 years for official emancipation, and Brooklyn had unique patterns, including a post-Revolution strengthening of slavery.
• Free Black Brooklynites emerged through multiple paths: migration from Manhattan, freedom gained by Black Loyalists, and through migration from northern states.
  • Quote: “The free Black community isn’t waiting for that emancipation moment...they’re already organizing and mobilizing, thinking of ways in which this community needs institutions.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (08:12)

3. The Krogers: Community Builders and Mutual Aid ([04:36]-[07:03])

• Peter and Benjamin Kroger, officially listed as "whitewashers," played critical roles in founding Brooklyn’s earliest mutual aid societies, churches, and schools, including Bridge Street AME Church.
• The significance of women like Eleanor and Elizabeth Kroger, even though archives often silence Black women’s roles.
  • Quote: “It doesn’t mean as historians or as New Yorkers that we need to honor or celebrate them any less...just because the archives are silent about their contributions doesn’t mean we have to be.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (06:26)

4. Independence from White Abolitionist Philanthropy ([08:25]-[09:34])

• Brooklyn’s Black-led institution-building was notably independent, contrasting other cities like Manhattan and Boston which leaned more on white philanthropy.
  • Quote: “What makes Brooklyn’s story so distinct...is that it comes from the Black community for U.S. buyers...that self-determination, I think, has deep roots in Brooklyn from the early 19th century.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (09:12)

5. The Hodges Family & Williamsburg’s Black Community ([09:34]-[11:00])

• The Hodges, who migrated from Virginia, established a thriving Black community in Williamsburg, finding racism “easier to bear in smaller villages” compared to Manhattan (10:00).
• They replicated and innovated on earlier Brooklyn models: schools, church, small enterprise, helping to shape the area before it became a full-fledged city.

6. Black Land Ownership and Voting Rights ([11:00]-[12:37])

• In the 1820s, Black men had to own $250 in property to be eligible to vote, a near-impossible barrier: “That was about an annual salary for the average working Black man.”
• The struggle for real estate ownership was fundamentally tied to debates and progress around citizenship—well before the 14th and 15th Amendments.

7. The Wilsons: Pioneers in Black Entrepreneurship ([12:37]-[13:57])

• William and Mary Ann Wilson (Mary owned a crockery store) exemplified Black entrepreneurialism as Brooklyn urbanized rapidly.
• William advocated vigorously for Black businesses to stake out space in expanding commercial hubs like Fulton and Atlantic.
  • Quote: “We need to open businesses on that thing called Fulton that seems to be expanding and the other street called Atlantic before someone else takes it all over.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (13:33)
• Contemporary relevance: The tradition continues today with ventures like the “Black-Owned Brooklyn” website.

8. Fugitive Slave Act and its Local Impact ([13:57]-[15:11])

• The Fugitive Slave Act’s chilling effect hit home—James Hamlet of Williamsburg was the first person arrested under the law; Brooklyn’s Black and abolitionist communities staged fundraising campaigns for his release.
  • Quote: “The ways in which these laws have terrorized and traumatized New Yorkers, but at the same time the ways in which New Yorkers have always learned to organize.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (14:47)

9. The Underground Railroad: Brooklyn as Safe Harbor ([15:11]-[16:47])

• Exact Underground Railroad locations are hard to pinpoint, but confirmed sites include Lewis Tappan’s home in Brooklyn Heights.
• Emphasis on freedom seekers "hiding in plain sight"—such as Isaac Hunter running a shoemaking business downtown.
• Black churches (Bridge Street, Shiloh, Concord) were essential as centers of support, fundraising, and faith.
  • Quote: “Incredible, incredible fundraising happening in those churches...again, acting as a sort of center of politics and faith” – Preeti Kanakamedala (16:52)

10. Racial Violence: The 1862 Brooklyn Attack ([17:21]-[19:07])

• The myth that Brooklyn was a sanctuary from racist violence is “nuanced”; in August 1862, Irish mobs attacked Black workers at a Columbia Street tobacco factory, creating terror and forcing many to flee or avoid returning to work.
• This predates the infamous 1863 Draft Riots in Manhattan and highlights Brooklyn's own complex racial history.

11. The Gloucesters: Real Estate, Wealth, and Philanthropy ([19:07]-[20:31])

• Elizabeth Gloucester, among America’s wealthiest women, built her fortune through real estate—she was also a key abolitionist financier, supporting radical causes like John Brown’s raid.
  • Quote: “At one point she’s giving money to John Brown to go raid Harper’s Ferry. Badass...and it’s the same year that her two-year-old Alfred will pass away.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (20:14)
• Kanakamedala underlines that for every Gloucester, many uncelebrated Black women sustained the economy informally.

12. Tracing Brooklyn’s Black Heritage Today ([20:31]-[21:57])

• Most remaining evidence is in archives (especially at the Center for Brooklyn History/Brooklyn Public Library), not in the cityscape.
• The true legacy is felt in the continued activity of historic Black churches, even if no longer in their original locations.
  • Quote: “One of the greatest gifts is to be a New Yorker who is constantly reminded that we are walking on the achievements and the contributions of New Yorkers past.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (21:17)
• Walking tours and historical imagination can help residents connect with these stories.

13. Memorable Research Discovery ([21:50]-[22:18])

• Kanakamedala shares a favorite finding: Pomona Brice, a Black woman fundraiser who challenged the narrative that only prominent men (like preacher Henry Ward Beecher) led such efforts.
  • Quote: “There was Pomona Brice with her sort of collections book and her bank statement. Showing that she was always at the center of her own fundraising.” – Preeti Kanakamedala (21:57)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the persistent silence surrounding Black women in the archives:
  “Just because the archives are silent about their contributions doesn’t mean we have to be.” (06:26)
• On Brooklyn's self-made activism:
  “All of that self-determination, I think, has deep roots in Brooklyn from the early 19th century.” (09:12)
• On linking real estate to citizenship:
  “If you can just buy property, you can vote, and then you could claim you were a citizen. We all know…owning property is the most impossible thing in this city.” (11:17)
• On remembrance:
  “We are walking on the achievements and the contributions of New Yorkers past. Constantly.” (21:17)
• On Elizabeth Gloucester:
  “At one point she’s giving money to John Brown to go raid Harper’s Ferry. Badass.” (20:14)

Timestamps by Topic

• Introduction & Setting the Scene: [00:49]-[02:39]
• Origins of Brooklyn’s Free Black Community: [02:39]-[03:23]
• The Gradual Emancipation Act Explained: [07:03]-[08:25]
• Difference from White Philanthropy: [08:25]-[09:34]
• Hodges Family & Williamsburg: [09:34]-[11:00]
• Land, Voting, and Citizenship: [11:00]-[12:37]
• Wilsons’ Business Impact: [12:37]-[13:57]
• Fugitive Slave Act in Brooklyn: [13:57]-[15:11]
• The Underground Railroad in Brooklyn: [15:11]-[16:47]
• Racial Violence in 1862 Brooklyn: [17:21]-[19:07]
• Gloucester Family & Wealth: [19:07]-[20:31]
• Preserving History & Modern Reminders: [20:31]-[21:57]
• Memorable Research Story: [21:50]-[22:18]

Conclusion

Preeti Kanakamedala’s study of free Black Brooklyn reveals an underappreciated layer of history defined by agency, resilience, and creativity under oppression. The legacies of community builders, entrepreneurs, and activists endure today, even if their physical traces are faint. Stories like those in "Brooklynites" help us reimagine the landscapes around us and deepen our understanding of how Black Brooklynites shaped not just a borough, but the broader American experiment in democracy and justice.