Friday, October 6, 2017

Controversy over rebuild of Flushing's Macedonia AME Church


From the Times Ledger:

In the midst of the $1 billion Flushing Commons project on Union Street in Flushing, community members are worried about the fate of the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church and the human remains they believe are buried on the property.

Dr. Richard McEachern, the minister, told a Community Board 7 meeting on Nov. 9, 2015 that the church would be torn down and replaced by a new, but not “oversized” church, according to the meeting minutes. No construction plans have been disclosed publicly or at quarterly church meetings, however, according to church members. McEachern is a member of the community board.

Jim Driscoll, a member of the Queens Historical Society, said he is concerned about the human remains mentioned in an archeological report, originally created in 1988 and confirmed in 2006 by Historical Perspectives Inc., a firm that conducts cultural and archeological research.

The extensive report determined that “current A.M.E. Church property must be considered sensitive for possible human remains.” It also recommended a 15-foot perimeter around three sides of the church to prevent disturbance of potential grave sites connected to Flushing’s historical African-American community.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How come the AME Rev never made an issue of this?
What was heard when Flush Comm was being proposed was that all the bodies were moved way back when Muni Lot 1 was built.
Really! Let's see the paperwork!

Anonymous said...

Mandingo Tsaka fought valiantly to get Martins Field the respect it deserved as an African American burial site that was converted to a park on the 1930s.
BRAVO!
WHERE ARE OUR BLACK LEADERS NOW?
Stand up for the rights of your fore bearers!

Anonymous said...

Why does this not surprise me