1,474 Views· 10/04/25· Today on TBT
Weeksville, Brooklyn: The Black City Buried by the Grid
Weeksville was one of the largest free Black communities in America — founded in 1838 when James Weeks bought land in Brooklyn and turned deeds into power. Here, land ownership meant more than shelter. It meant a ballot, a school, a press, and a safety net for the community.
During the 1863 Draft Riots, Weeksville became a fortress, sheltering families fleeing white mobs. It built its own newspaper, orphanage, and home for the aged — everything America refused to give us, we built ourselves.
But Weeksville was nearly erased. The Brooklyn street grid cut it apart. Urban renewal displaced its families. By the 20th century, it was gone from maps, gone from textbooks — almost forgotten.
Until 1968, when historians rediscovered the Hunterfly Road Houses and brought the story back.
✨ Now that personal changes have been updated, you can expect to see more regular content here. Thank you for your support in keeping these stories alive.
📌 Subscribe to The BlackTube for more Forgotten Black Cities — the history they tried to erase but we refuse to let die.

5 Comments
BlockKay
16 days agoK_Morgan22394
20 days agoNixon Musembi
21 days agoAP 1NABILLION
22 days agoWelcome 2 Couponing with Splintrose
22 days ago