A new not-for-profit foundation has been formed to raise money for the African Burial Ground National Monument.
The formation of the African Burial Ground Foundation was announced Sept. 29.
In 1991 the remains of more then 400 Colonial-era African men, women and children were unearthed during construction work for a federal building in Lower Manhattan at Duane and Elk Sts. An estimated 20,000 enslaved and free Africans were buried in a five-block area, which includes the site of the memorial.
The foundation has not yet set a fundraising goal and is working with the National Park Service to figure out how much money will be needed. The monument is scheduled to be completed by June 2007 and the Interpretive Center at 290 Broadway, should be finished by June 2008.
