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.

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