The origins, rediscovery, and preservation of the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan represents a multi-layered view of the experience of people of African descent in the area, from enslaved and free black people in the colonial era to late 20th and early 21st century African Americans who became involved and invested in the discovery, protection, and preservation of this important site. Lower Manhattan in New York City is a palimpsest of the history of European conquest, colonization, and exploitation. In terms of memorializing the dead, it’s hard to find a more close-packed piece of symbolic geography; within easy walking distance of the African Burial Ground are both the 9/11 Memorial pools and museum and Trinity Church’s 17th century burial ground. The current African Burial Ground memorial site and visitor’s centre, now part of the National Parks system, occupy a tiny amount of space compared to those other memorials, but studying the history of the site can tell us much about the African experience of enslavement and exploitation in “America” from its earliest days as a colony through today. The initial discovery and study of the remains received justified criticism from African-American groups, and the negotiated process of excavation, analysis, contextualization, and memorialization can provide a useful guide for future discoveries of this sort, in which the need to memorialize the dead must include understanding our history and granting agency to those who still experience its heaviest weight.