Mayor Eric Adams today commissioned the Sandy Ground, a new Staten Island Ferry vessel named for New York’s first free Black community, which was settled in 1828 and served as a stop on the historic Underground Railroad. The Sandy Ground is the first Staten Island Ferry boat named to honor the rich history of Black New Yorkers living on Staten Island.
Sandy Ground’s history as a free Black community dates back nearly 200 years to 1828, when ferry boat operator Captain John Jackson became the first Black person to own property on Staten Island, buying in what is now the South
Shore community of Rossville. Over time, Sandy Ground was settled by Black oystermen who fled Maryland’s more restrictive laws. New York’s booming oyster trade allowed residents there to own their own property, boats, and businesses.
A state-of-the-art, $85 million, 4,500-person boat, the Sandy Ground is the second of three new ferries that will enter service this year, which are collectively known as the Ollis-class vessels. The Sandy Ground is expected to be in service by this spring.
CONGRATULATIONS !!! yaLL might be thinking yALL done did, this JUST for NEW YORKERS and New York City: but deep down inside: don’t get it TWISTED…. NEW YORK CITY is still the MECCA in the USA for BLACK CULTURE and INTELLIGENCE, so yALL done help “RE-INSPIRED” the hearts / souls / minds and ENTHUSIASM all across the COUNTRY- aLL oVer again; as our PACE SETTER [ the TREND SETTER ] from, music, fashion, sports, architecture and every THING else….. NOW, we have to step our GAME PLAN and Follow the LEAD, of that which is none other, THAN New York City and embracing our ANCESTORS Heritage Lineage, even moRe, than ever-
THANK yALL up there for RE-INSPIRING me and our efforts: with just READING about NEW YORK CITY leaping out front again- showing us there is still OPPORTUNITY for OPTIMISM with CONFIDENCE- Lov.e yALL-
Marvin S. Robinson II
QUINDARO RUINS// Underground Railroad- Exercise 2022