Relive the Dedication Ceremony
A Marker Dedicated to History
Inaugurated Juneteenth 2025, the CAS Memorial marker stands as a testament to the legacy of the Hudson Valley’s enslaved Africans and their descendants. The ceremony brought historians, community members, academics and families together to celebrate the contributions of Poughkeepsie’s ancestors.
Spoken Words of History
Explore remarks from Poughkeepsie community members and leaders during the dedication ceremony.
Why Memorials Matter
A Tribute to the Celebrating the African Spirit Memorial Marker
By Katherine Hite
CAS Co-Chair and Co-Founder, Professor of Political Science at Vassar College
On Recognizing the Enslaved Men and Women Who Built the Mill at Upper Landing
By Susan McIntosh
CAS Research Chair
On Enslavement and the River
By Bill Jeffway
Executive Director of Dutchess Historical Society
“…This blessing, then, is not a statement or a request, but in the Native traditional way is rather an acknowledgment, a gratitude, a “thank you” for what we already know is being provided — We thank the original caretakers of the land for “turning their faces towards us” “for their help – for witnessing” the marker being placed to honor those African ancestors who built so much of this City of Uppuqu-ipis-ing--Poughkeepsie.”
-Elisi Joan Henry, (Tsalagi/Nde'/Arawaka) Traditional Singer & Elder, Nuyagi Keetoowah Society
