College partnering with Historic Huguenot Street to provide co-curricular slave dwelling experience

Faculty and staff at SUNY New Paltz are collaborating with Historic Huguenot Street for a weekend of programming highlighted by an overnight stay in dwellings once occupied by the slaves of New Paltz’s early European settlers.

A number of New Paltz students nominated by faculty in the Department of Black Studies have been invited to participate in the overnight stay. They will be joined by descendants of slaves some of the founding families of the Village of New Paltz.

This unique educational opportunity will be led by Joseph McGill, founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, which is dedicated to preserving extant slave dwellings across the United States and educating the public about the slave experience through the practice of spending time in these spaces.

Following the overnight stay, SUNY New Paltz will host an informal reception at the College Terrace on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 6-8:30 p.m., as an opportunity for students and community members to meet and converse with McGill and College President Donald P. Christian about the slave dwelling experience.

Historic Huguenot Street will hold their own reception on Saturday, Sept. 10, beginning at 5 p.m. in the DuBois Fort Visitor Center.

McGill and colleague Terry James will also visit relevant classes at New Paltz on Friday, Sept. 9 to discuss their work with students and faculty.

These events are made possible through a collaboration between the Department of Black Studies, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Office of the President, Historic Huguenot Street and the Slave Dwelling Project.

More information about the Slave Dwelling Project and about Historic Huguenot Street can be accessed online.