The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum has announced a brand new series of discussion panels, “Dyckman Discussions: A More Perfect Union in Inwood.” The series will begin on March 11 and will continue once a month into June, in which panelists will discuss the stories of marginalized communities in Inwood’s diverse history, seeking in particular to address the displacement of the enslaved people and indigenous people.
In addition to the five discussions planned this year, the museum also plans to host a series of community dialogues in 2024 in which members of the Inwood community are invited to participate. These lectures will take place in various cultural/educational institutions located throughout Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx.
“Dyckman Discussions” will feature a series of presentations led by various educators, historians and artists that explore difficult topics in New York state’s early history, including forced removal of indigenous people, Dutch colonization, enslaved labor and immigration. These panels are free and open to the general public for attendance, and will also be available online for those who cannot attend in person. The second half of the series, which will take place in 2024, will allow members of the community to facilitate dialogues addressing current issues pertaining to today’s social and political climate.
“Dyckman Discussions: A More Perfect Union in Inwood” is just one of many initiatives of The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance (DFMA) in bringing light to the unspoken narratives of marginalized individuals in New York City’s early history; their previous programming, including DyckmanDISCOVERED, has focused on honoring the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked for the Dyckman family.
“Dyckman Discussion is a project that brings together several aspects of what we do at the museum,” said Melissa Kiewet, interim director of the museum. “We examine the past, look for ways it can inform our current day lives, and use that information to help our community. This series aims to bring together the community to do just that.”
Registration is not required for those who wish to attend in person; those who wish to attend virtually may sign up for each lecture at their respective link on the Dyckman Discussions webpage. Additional information about each panel chair and panelists is available at this link as well.
This program has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands wisdom. Additional funding is also provided by TD Bank.
For more information about this program and others at the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance, please visit https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/.
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