NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A new street named in honor of Staten Island’s oldest surviving enslaved person was unveiled Monday in the borough.
When Benjamin Prine died 122 years ago, he was the borough’s last known person born into slavery, and his final resting place was discovered by documentary filmmaker Heather Quinlan during her research on historical gravesites in the city.
“Benjamin Prine, who is buried in this strip mall parking lot, was the last living enslaved person on Staten Island and today is the 122nd anniversary of his passing,” Quinlan said. “Which is why we chose today to announce that the street that runs alongside the strip mall will be codenamed Benjamin Prine Way.”
Beneath the strip mall on Forest Avenue in Port Richmond are the remains of Prine, who died at the age of 99 and was buried at the Cherry Lane AME Cemetery which has since been developed over.
“This is the first time in New York City history that a street will be co-named after an enslaved person from New York City,” Quinlan said.
Back in the 1950s, Michelle Rose Mann's grandmother developed the property into the strip mall it is today. Seeing Prine’s legacy get recognition was important for her.
“The history of people who've lived here has been erased and in particular the history of African Americans and their contributions to the city and state of New York,” Mann said. “It's important that we all recognize that and that we all support the building of a memorial, the renaming of a street because these are the steps that we can take today to create restorative justice.”
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