From the Preface    

 “New York, New York, the Big Apple,” intoned Harlem’s spoken-word rebels, the Last Poets, in their 1960’s rhyme about the huge metropolis.  “So nice they named it twice” was another familiar chant that expressed the awe and excitement many had for New York City.  The Big Apple is a nickname given to this bustling city by the black jazz musicians who flocked to New York City in the 1920’s to get a slice of the work that was abundant during the Jazz Age. 

   New York City is, indeed, every one of those things and more.  The poems, the rhymes, and the jazzy renditions celebrating the City in all of its many incarnations are marvelous advertisements for the wonderful experiences that await the visitor.  Diversity is the hallmark of the City.  Immigrants from all over the world have been greeted since 1886 by the Lady in the Harbor with her torch hoisted high, beckoning new arrivals to, “Give us you tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free.”  Bringing their culture and their traditions, these immigrants come ashore to make a new life.

   However, not all of the immigrants debarking from ships in the harbor looked forward to their new homeland.  There were some who came from Africa as indentured servants, and others who came as slaves.  This is their story.