New York City is a beautiful city that can be described as a whole pie and not just a slice. Whether it's the endless entertainment, from Broadway shows to shopping, the best part is the lifestyle the city allows. Let's not forget that it is home to some of America's most notable monuments that celebrate America's most significant heroes and others that celebrate America as a country. Aside from that, there is one monument that catches my attention the most, the African Burial Ground National Monument. In such a diverse city I appreciate everything that recognizes the minority. We all know the history of African Americans and slavery. For those who may not have read the story, Africans were slaves in America and had been secondary to others from time immemorial. Sarcasm away, I love this monument for its attempt to recognize the history of African-American descendants, who were intrinsic to the development of the city. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The monument is located at the Ted Weiss Federal Building in the civic center of Lower Manhattan. It is a twenty-five foot tall granite monument that forms the map of the Atlantic area, an allusion to the central passage used to transport slaves from Africa to North America. It is built with stone from South to North America to signify the two worlds coming together. The Door of Return refers to the phrase "The Door of No Return" used by West African chiefs to reveal that slaves would never return to their homes. The monument reconnects ethnic African Americans with their line of descent. In the 1600s, African slaves were buried in the north cemetery of Trinity Church. Not all slaves could save on the price of the tax and ended up burying their relatives in the South. In 1967, Trinity secured this land to establish their church and prohibited Africans from using it for burial purposes. The church also requested that people be banned from using the city cemetery and this was allowed. This led to the birth of the Negros Cemetery which was part of Sara Roelof's estate. Sara was a translator between city officials and Native American tribes. This land was used for the burial of freed and enslaved slaves until 1794. The land was later designated for construction and was raised twenty-five feet covering the cemetery. Since urban expansion occurred outside the cemetery, the burial ground was neglected. It wasn't until the 19th century that curiosity began to arouse after a homeowner in the area spoke of human bones that had been found in his compound. After much speculation and propaganda about the bone remains in the area, in October 1991 the General Services Administration carried out an archaeological survey prior to the acquisition of the land. Several intact burials were made and this aroused interest among African American communities. They felt that they had not been properly conferred and that no consideration had been given to the nature of the findings. Protests followed after it became known that the intact burials had been exhumed. Activism from the African-American community increased and prompted then-President George Bush to sign an order banning any construction in the area. Three million dollars were earmarked for a memorial in the area. In the same year, 1992, the burial ground was entered into the National Register of Historic Places as the size of the burials made it notable for both regional and national history. In 1993 it was identified as a monumentnational historian. The identification and the controversy it caused received so much national media attention and sparked archaeological research into African-American ancestry. This time African American archaeologists and students were involved in this study. A design competition was held for the memorial which attracted more than sixty submissions. The winner, Rodney Leon, teamed up with Nicole Hollant Deniss to erect the current memorial. In 2006, the site was declared a National Monument to operate under the National Park Service. In 2007 an unveiling ceremony was presided over by Maya Angelou and Michael Bloomberg. This monument not only represents the ground on which enslaved Africans and African Americans were buried. It represents the struggle of Africans to reclaim their history. As journalist Edward Rothstein wrote in his article A Burial Ground and Its Dead Are Give Life, Among the scars left by the legacy of slavery, one of the greatest is the absence: where are the memorials, the cemeteries, the architectural structures or the sturdy structures? sanctuaries that typically constitute the ground for the memory of a people? During the excavation, personal objects such as silver pendants were recovered. Some of the remains were filed teeth that constituted an aesthetic culture for Africans. Studies also showed that deaths were rampant among children twelve years of age and younger. This says a lot about the mortality rate of African Americans. The monument also shows the concrete recognition of the African American people. They had been put aside for a long time. Their contribution to the growth of America as a whole has long been ignored. This monument represents African Americans who made the greatest contributions to the economy. It commands respect for people who have been treated with unfathomable brutality and have been robbed of their culture. The discoveries of the African Burial Ground changed the way early African American history books were published in relation to this topic. The first slavery exhibition in New York occurred in 2005 and was conducted by the New York Historical Society. But most importantly, it plays a role in the fight for equality for African Americans. As mentioned above, African Americans are part of the minority groups in America. Inequality did not stop with the end of the slave trade and continues today. As I read the history of the monument's founding, I was impressed by the aggressiveness of the African-American community in ensuring that intact burials were not compromised. They ensured that they were included in the archaeological study. Today the fight continues. African Americans have formed various movements that help them fight for their rights. A good example is the Black Lives Matter movement. And it doesn't end there, given the digital age we are in social media and the Internet has become the most influential platform. Hash tags and movements to empower, especially the black woman, are on the rise every day. They allow African American women to shed pride in their authentic selves, whether it be the type of hair, the color of their skin, or the size and complexion of their bodies. With the freedom given to African Americans, we have seen them become some of the most influential people in the world. An example is the late Maya Angelou who was a great poet and will forever be remembered as a great feminist. The most influential is President Barrack who was the first African American president. African Americans have also had an increase in employment. Unlike before, they now hold top positions in companies and other parastatal bodies. I know that many will be surprised by the choice of my monument and will feel that.