A statue of abolitionist and writer Solomon Northup, whose story was told in his memoir and the Academy Award-winning film Twelve Years a Slave, has provided a space for reflection at Saratoga Spa State Park this summer. The 13-foot bronze “Hope Out of Darkness” sculpture was unveiled during a July 10ceremony attended by Northup descendants, area officials and community members on the lawn in front of the Lincoln Bathhouse.
The Solomon Northup “Hope Out of Darkness” statue is on view in front of the Lincoln Bathhouse (65 South Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866) through Oct. 19, 2025.
Northup, a free-born Black American born in Minerva, NY, lived in Saratoga Springs with his wife and children for about seven years when he was tricked into joining a traveling circus. This sinister ploy led to Northup being kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in April 1841 and sold into slavery.
As our understanding of history grows, so do the stories we tell about our past. The upcoming commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution (2025) and the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in New York and 200th anniversary of the ending of legalized slavery in New York (both in 2027) provide the perfect opportunity for a re-examination of these key events in American history.
On Saturday, November 16, 2024, the public and staff members from New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation gathered at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers and online for “Making History: Revolution, Abolition, and Preservation in New York State,” a symposium highlighting the agency’s Our Whole History initiative. The initiative starts with acknowledging that our understanding of history is complex and nuanced, and evolves with historical research. Our Whole History actively fills in parts of history that were previously ignored to gain a more complete understanding of the past.
From their earliest conception, theJay Estate Gardens in Rye have been a place to host meaningful dialogues about American history and memory. A new outdoor wire sculpture exhibit created by acclaimed artist Kristine Mays expands upon that intentionality, celebrating and memorializing the spirts of enslaved people. Curated by the nonprofit Jay Heritage Center (JHC), “Rich Soil” is the first collection of fine art pieces to be installed in the historic landscape.
“I am breathing life into wire. With each work, I create a form that reveals the essence of a person and that speaks to humanity as a whole,” Mays said.
Black History Month is drawing to a close. But at the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, research into New York’s Black history is continuous. From the 1627 arrival of the first 22 enslaved African men to the 1827 abolition of slavery in New York and into the future, Black history is the history of New York and of the United States. This is a cornerstone principle of ‘Our Whole History,’ a Parks initiative launched several years ago to thoroughly research and share the stories of New York State from the points of view of all who lived it.
As research continues, a more complete picture of the past emerges. The stories of the Black New Yorkers who contributed so much to New York’s history are revealed through painstaking, detail-oriented research. Key caretakers, highly skilled laborers, folks who contributed to a smooth-running household become clearer.
To piece together their stories, our dedicated historians conduct archaeology, study physical objects, and delve deep into records of all kinds: account ledgers of both homes and businesses; census data; estate inventories; wills; letters and journals; city directories; diaries, and more.
Several of our historians shared with us the stories of Black figures who shaped the history of their sites.
In settlements along the Hudson River Valley and in Albany on the hill where the New York State Capitol sits today, enslaved and free African descendants once gathered with family and friends to celebrate Pinkster. During the holiday, the Dutch attended religious services but also gathered socially to play games and eat holiday foods. Enslaved Africans had leave to travel and gather during the festivities, which was not allowed during most of the year.
Left: Pinkster event signage outside of Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site. Right: Pinkster coverage from the Albany Morning Express, 1880.
Over the past few decades, the Pinkster celebration has enjoyed a resurgence in New York State. And in recent years, historic sites in New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s care have served as venues to carry on the deeply rooted cultural tradition.
A History of Pinkster
Settlers in New Netherland, a 17th century Dutch colonial province on the east coast, practiced their religious observance of Pentecost (Pinksteren in Dutch) or Whitsunday in the Americas. Pentecost signifies the Holy Spirit being sent to the disciples, roughly fifty days after the resurrection, as described in the New Testament of the Christian bible.
In 1803, a published account of Pinkster in the Albany Centinel newspaper described the scene: “readiness, on Monday morning, blacks and a certain class of whites, together with countries and colours, begin to assemble on Pinkster from every part of the city and from the adjacent country miles around, forming in the whole a motley group of thousands…”
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 