[Jonathan Adams writes about the victory of Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) in saving a home believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad. The home on 227 Duffield Street was set to be demolished to build an underground parking lot. The city’s decision to save the home shows acknowledgement for historic Brooklyn.]
Acknowledging Historic Brooklyn
December 3, 2007
by Jonathan Adams
Courtesy of RaceWire
Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) announced at a press conference in Brooklyn yesterday that the city will not use eminent domain to destroy 227 Duffield Street, a house widely believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad.
A couple of months ago, we posted that the housee was still in jeopardy after FUREE won the eminent domain hearing. But now, the city has settled the lawsuit that began in 2004 and the home on Duffield St. will not become an underground parking lot.
A coalition of people organized with FUREE in the name of justice: Joy Chatel (who wants to turn her home into a historical and cultural center) and another Duffield Street homeowner Lew Greenstein, the South Brooklyn Legal Services and the Four Boroughs Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, all worked together during this multi-year battle.
This is a huge victory for an organization fighting for families of color, many of whom are immigrants and low-income.
Ann
