About this Event
We invite everyone to join us as we celebrate the 7th annual Triumph of the Human Spirit and Humanities Day, honoring our ancestors, the African Burial Ground, and the Triumph of the Human Spirit monument in Foley Square (across from the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse).
The event will take place on Thursday, October 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., beginning at the African Burial Ground National Monument (290 Broadway) followed by a drum procession to Foley Square, home of the Triumph of the Human Spirit monument by Dr. Lorenzo Pace.
The program will include guest speakers, elected officials, performances, drumming, and singing with Dr. Lorenzo Pace, author of the acclaimed children's book Jalani and the Lock, and acclaimed dancer Jamel Gaines, who will lead a special interactive program for the city’s schoolchildren. The event is supported by Honorable Councilmember Christopher Marte.
Installed in 2000 and commissioned by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the five-story, 300-ton black granite sculpture sits near the site of a colonial-era African burial ground. Its design evokes the Middle Passage of the slave trade and the Ci Wara, a revered antelope figure in African art.
For additional inormation visit Triumph of the Human Spirit
Event venue & nearby stays
African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway, New York, United States
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