Saturday, February 7, 2026

Seneca Village: The Lost History Beneath Central Park


Central Park. For many, it's an iconic symbol of New York City, a sprawling urban oasis offering respite from the concrete jungle. But beneath its meticulously manicured lawns and picturesque landscapes lies a forgotten history, a story of displacement and a vibrant community erased.

Did you know that an entire Manhattan village, predominantly owned and inhabited by free Black Americans, was destroyed to build Central Park? This community was called Seneca Village, and its story is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in the name of urban development.

A Thriving Community (1825-1857)

Seneca Village was established in 1825, spanning from 82nd Street to 89th Street on the west side of what is now Central Park. It wasn't just a collection of houses; it was a thriving, self-sufficient community. At its peak, it housed approximately 225 residents.

Who lived there? The majority of Seneca Village residents were African American, many of whom had escaped slavery or were born free. They were joined by a smaller number of Irish and German immigrants. This diverse community built homes, churches, and a school, fostering a strong sense of belonging and mutual support.

For Black residents, owning land in Seneca Village was particularly significant. In a time when property ownership was often a prerequisite for voting rights, it offered a path to political empowerment and economic stability. It was a place where they could build lives, raise families, and escape the racial prejudice prevalent in other parts of the city.



The Dream of Central Park

By the mid-19th century, New York City was growing rapidly, and prominent citizens began advocating for a large public park. The idea was to create a grand space, similar to those found in European capitals, that would provide recreation and improve public health.

In 1853, the New York State Legislature authorized the creation of Central Park. The chosen site, encompassing what would become Seneca Village, was seen as ideal due to its relatively undeveloped nature.

Displacement and Destruction

The creation of Central Park, while envisioned as a public good, came at a devastating cost to the residents of Seneca Village. Through the power of eminent domain, the city began acquiring the land. Despite organized resistance and pleas from the villagers, who fought fiercely to retain their homes and properties, they were ultimately forced out.

Residents received compensation for their land, but it was often inadequate, and the process was fraught with unfairness. Many lost not just their homes but their livelihoods and their community ties. By 1857, Seneca Village was completely razed, its buildings demolished, and its residents dispersed across the city. The physical traces of their lives were buried beneath the rising landscapes of Central Park.

Here's a map showing the approximate location of Seneca Village within what is now Central Park:




Rediscovering Seneca Village

For over a century, the story of Seneca Village remained largely untold. However, in recent decades, historians and archaeologists have worked to uncover and share this vital piece of New York City's past. Archaeological excavations have unearthed artifacts that offer glimpses into the daily lives of the villagers, helping to reconstruct their community.

The Central Park Conservancy, in collaboration with historians, now offers tours and educational programs to shed light on Seneca Village, ensuring that its legacy is no longer forgotten.

A Legacy to Remember

The story of Seneca Village is more than just a historical footnote. It's a powerful reminder of:

  • The human cost of urban development: Progress often comes with sacrifices, and it's crucial to acknowledge the communities and individuals who bear that burden.

  • The resilience of marginalized communities: Seneca Village was a testament to the strength, self-determination, and community building of free Black Americans in a challenging era.

  • The importance of inclusive history: By uncovering and sharing stories like Seneca Village, we gain a more complete and nuanced understanding of our past and present.

The next time you stroll through Central Park, take a moment to reflect on the vibrant community that once thrived beneath your feet. Seneca Village may be gone, but its story continues to echo, urging us to remember, learn, and build a more equitable future.

Sources:

  • The Seneca Village Project: A collaborative effort between the Central Park Conservancy, the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History, and Columbia University. [You can find more detailed information by searching for "Seneca Village Project Central Park"]

  • Central Park Conservancy: The official website often has information on Seneca Village history and tours. [Search "Central Park Conservancy Seneca Village"]

  • New-York Historical Society: Often has exhibits and resources on New York City history, including Seneca Village. [Search "New-York Historical Society Seneca Village"]

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The Architect of Interactive Worlds: The Legacy of Muriel Tramis

 

In an industry often criticized for its historical lack of diversity, the story of Muriel Tramis stands as a masterclass in breaking barriers. Long before "narrative-driven games" were a buzzword, Tramis was in Paris, weaving complex tales of Caribbean history, eroticism, and social justice into the digital fabric of the 1980s and 90s.

As the first Black woman video game designer, her influence isn't just a footnote—it’s the foundation for how we tell stories through a screen.

Early Life: From Martinique to Paris

Born in Fort-de-France, Martinique, Tramis grew up in a culture rich with oral tradition and colonial complexity. She moved to Paris to pursue a career in engineering, specializing in computer science.

Before she ever touched a game engine, she worked at Aérospatiale, a major French aerospace manufacturer. There, she optimized maintenance procedures for aircraft and missiles. This background in rigorous logic and systems engineering would eventually become her "secret weapon" when she pivoted to the creative arts.

"I wanted to tell stories, but I also loved the logic of machines. Video games were the only place where those two worlds met." — Muriel Tramis (summarized from various interviews)

The Coktel Vision Years: Narrative Revolution

In 1986, Tramis joined Coktel Vision, a French development studio. This partnership birthed some of the most avant-garde and intellectually daring games of the era.

1. Mewilo (1987)

Tramis’s debut was a point-and-click adventure set in Martinique just before the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée. Co-written with famous novelist Patrick Chamoiseau, Mewilo was revolutionary. It didn't just provide puzzles; it explored the ghosts of slavery and the tensions of colonial society.

2. Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness (1988)

Perhaps her most provocative work, Freedom puts the player in the shoes of an enslaved person on a sugar plantation. The goal? To escape.

  • The Contribution: It was one of the first games to tackle the horrors of the slave trade with tactical depth and historical gravity.

  • The Mechanics: Players had to manage "morale" and "physical strength," blending RPG elements with a harrowing survival narrative.

3. The Gobliiins Trilogy & Lost in Time

Tramis proved her versatility by pivoting to surreal, humorous puzzles (Gobliiins) and mind-bending time-travel adventures (Lost in Time). Her work helped define the "French Touch" in gaming—a style characterized by high-art aesthetics and unconventional logic.



Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Awards and Impact

In 2018, the French government recognized her immense impact by awarding her the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor), France's highest merit. She was the first woman in the video game industry to receive this distinction.

Key Contributions:

  • Cultural Representation: She proved that games could be a medium for post-colonial literature.

  • The "Edu-tainment" Pioneer: Through Coktel Vision’s Adibou series, she helped design educational software that taught millions of children how to interact with computers.

  • Diversity in Design: She shattered the image of the "lone male programmer," bringing an intersectional Caribbean perspective to a Eurocentric industry.

Where She is Now

Today, Tramis remains a consultant and a champion for diversity. She frequently speaks on the importance of including minority voices in AI and game development to prevent the "biases of the past" from being coded into the future.

Her life is a reminder that being "the first" is rarely about the title—it's about the courage to bring your whole history, culture, and identity to the table.

Guide to Her Most Significant Titles

To truly appreciate Muriel Tramis's depth, you have to look at how she balanced "serious" historical narratives with whimsical puzzles and even avant-garde eroticism. She wasn't just a designer; she was a pioneer of the "French Touch"—a style that prioritized atmosphere and story over traditional "win/loss" mechanics.

Here is a researched guide to her most significant titles, categorized by how they shaped her legendary career.

1. The Post-Colonial Trilogy

These are her most deeply personal works, often co-written with the renowned Martinican author Patrick Chamoiseau.

  • Méwilo (1987): Her debut. A supernatural mystery set in 1902 Martinique. You play as a parapsychologist investigating a haunting, which serves as a gateway to discussing the island’s history of slavery.

  • Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness (1988): A groundbreaking tactical-adventure game. You play as a maroon (an escaped enslaved person) organizing a revolt on a sugar plantation. It was one of the first games to use "morale" and "loyalty" as core gameplay mechanics.

  • Lost in Time (1993): An interactive movie/adventure game. It follows Doralice, a woman who discovers she is a descendant of a 19th-century noblewoman and travels through time to uncover a family secret involving a Caribbean shipwreck.

2. The "Gobliiins" Series (Co-created with Pierre Gilhodes)

While her other games were heavy, these were pure, surreal joy. They are legendary for their "multi-character" puzzles—each goblin has one specific skill (strength, magic, or gathering), and you must coordinate them to progress.

  • Gobliiins (1991): Features three goblins (Asgard, Ignatus, and Oups).

  • Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon (1992): Features two main characters.

  • Goblins Quest 3 (1993): Focuses on a single character, Blount.

3. The Avant-Garde & Erotic Thrillers

Tramis was also a pioneer in adult-oriented gaming, using the brand name Tomahawk to separate these from Coktel Vision’s educational titles. She approached these with a "feminist gaze," subverting the typical male-centric tropes of the time.

  • Emmanuelle (1989): Based on the famous French character, it was an adventure game focused on sensuality and exploration.

  • Geisha (1990): A puzzle-adventure set in Japan, blending mystery with erotic imagery.

  • Fascination (1991): A high-stakes thriller where you play as a flight attendant carrying a mysterious suitcase. It’s notable for being a rare "noir" title with a female lead.

4. Educational & Mainstream Hits

Tramis was instrumental in the Adibou (AJ's World of Discovery) series, which became a staple in European classrooms in the 90s.

  • The Adi/Adibou Series: These games taught millions of kids math, reading, and logic. At its peak, this series held over 60% of the French "edutainment" market.

  • The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble (1994): A cult classic point-and-click adventure with a heavy social commentary on post-apocalyptic society and bureaucracy.

  • Urban Runner (1996): An ambitious interactive movie using live-action video (FMV). It was one of her most expensive projects and remains a fascinating relic of the "CD-ROM era."

How to play them today

Many of these titles are now considered Abandonware, but the gaming community has kept them alive:

  • ScummVM: Most of her Coktel Vision titles (especially Gobliiins and Lost in Time) are fully playable on modern PCs using the ScummVM emulator.

  • Digital Remakes: Tramis recently expressed interest in a remake of Méwilo (titled Remembrance) to bring her Caribbean stories to a new generation.

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More information about "Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness" (1988)

It is shocking to me that I had never heard of Murial Tramis up until 3 or 4 days ago, but given this research "Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness" is the one will hunt down first. I was upset when Ubisoft cancelled a new "Assassin's Creed" game where you escape slavery and hunt down KKK enemies but it turns out that such a game has already been made. It appears that much of her work and products were released in Europe which also explains why she is new to me although she kicked the doors down for me and many others. 

Muriel Tramis’s most politically charged work, Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness, remains a stark and ambitious piece of interactive history. It was remarkably ahead of its time, combining strategy, stealth, and side-scrolling combat to tell the story of an enslaved person organizing a revolt on an 18th-century Martinican plantation.

How to Play it Today

Because the game was released for retro systems like MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST, it is no longer sold on modern storefronts like Steam. However, you can play it legally and for free via digital preservation sites:

  • Internet Archive (MS-DOS Version): You can play the game directly in your web browser using their integrated DOSBox emulator. This is the most stable and accessible way to experience it today.

  • DOS.Zone: Another browser-based option that offers a "save game" feature, allowing you to return to your progress later.

  • ScummVM: If you prefer to play offline, you can download the game files from an abandonware site and run them through ScummVM, which provides a polished experience on modern PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

Gameplay & Visuals

The gameplay is split into distinct phases that reflect the difficulty of the protagonist's mission:

  1. Overhead Strategy: You navigate a map of the plantation, avoiding guard dogs and identifying key buildings.

  2. Recruitment & Sabotage: You must interact with fellow enslaved people to build a "morale" and "loyalty" pool to start the rebellion. You can also burn down storage huts or pick locks to gather supplies.

  3. The Combat: If you are caught by guards or decide to confront the masters, the view switches to a side-on fighting game style (reminiscent of early Street Fighter or Prince of Persia).

Gameplay Video

To see Muriel Tramis’s vision in action—specifically the unique interface and the transition from strategy to combat—you can watch this archival footage:

  • Amiga Longplay (Full Walkthrough): Watch on YouTube

  • Modern Critique & Gameplay: Watch on YouTube (This video provides context on Tramis's design choices alongside the gameplay).

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Sources for Further Reading:

  • The Guardian: "Muriel Tramis: The pioneer who brought colonialism to video games."

  • CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée): Historical archives on Coktel Vision.

  • Rhizome: Digital preservation of Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness.

Would you like me to research a specific list of games she worked on to help you track down some of these retro classics?

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"Lift Every Voice..." By James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson was far more than a songwriter; he was a "Renaissance man" in the truest sense. A lawyer, diplomat, civil rights leader, and pivotal figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Johnson’s life (1871–1938) was a testament to the power of art as a tool for social change.

A Life of "Firsts"

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Johnson’s career was a series of glass-shattering achievements:

  • Law: He was the first African American admitted to the Florida Bar since the Reconstruction era (1898).

  • Diplomacy: He served as U.S. Consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua under President Theodore Roosevelt.

  • Civil Rights: He became the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP (1920), where he led national campaigns against lynching.

  • Academia: In 1934, he became the first African American professor hired at New York University.

Selected Discography & Musical Works

Johnson’s musical legacy is defined by his collaboration with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. Together, they moved to New York in 1901 and wrote over 200 songs for Broadway, earning the nickname "Those Ebony Offenbachs."

  • "Under the Bamboo Tree" (1902): One of their biggest commercial hits.

  • "The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground": A patriotic popular song.

  • "Didn't He Ramble": A staple of early jazz and brass band repertoire.

  • The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925): An influential anthology compiled by the brothers to preserve Black sacred music.

The History of "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

The song that would become known as the Black National Anthem began as a poem. In January 1900, while serving as principal of the Stanton School in Jacksonville, James Weldon Johnson was asked to speak at a celebration for Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

Feeling that a mere speech wasn't enough, he wrote a poem, and his brother Rosamond set it to music. On February 12, 1900, it was performed for the first time by a choir of 500 schoolchildren.

Johnson later recalled the "agony and ecstasy" of writing the lyrics, particularly the second stanza, which speaks to the "stony road" and the "chastening rod" of the African American experience. Though the brothers moved on to Broadway, the children of Jacksonville kept singing it. By 1919, the NAACP officially adopted it as its rallying cry. Today, it remains a universal hymn of resilience, performed at everything from church services to the Super Bowl.

Watch: "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

For a moving rendition of the full song with lyrics, watch the video below:

Lift Every Voice and Sing with Lyrics

Sources


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David Blackwell: A Legacy of Excellence and Innovation

 

In the world of artificial intelligence and statistics, one name stands out as a true pioneer: David Blackwell. As a groundbreaking scientist, Blackwell’s contributions have shaped the landscape of AI and statistics, leaving an indelible mark on the scientific community.

David Blackwell's Incredible Life and Achievements

David Blackwell was a multifaceted scientist who excelled in various fields, including mathematics, statistics, and game theory. Born in 1919, Blackwell faced numerous challenges as a Black man in academia during the early 20th century. Despite these obstacles, he became the first Black person elected to the National Academy of Sciences and held prestigious positions at institutions like the University of California, Berkeley.

One of Blackwell’s most significant achievements was being awarded the National Medal of Science, a testament to his exceptional contributions to science and engineering. His legacy continues to inspire generations of scientists, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Innovation and Contributions

David Blackwell’s innovations and contributions have had a profound impact on the development of AI and statistics. Here’s a list of some of his most notable achievements:

  • Blackwell-Rao Theorem: This theorem provides a way to improve the precision of estimators in statistics, which is crucial for making accurate predictions and reducing bias in data analysis.

  • Blackwell Spaces: These are mathematical structures that have been instrumental in the development of probability theory and statistics.

  • NVIDIA Blackwell Chip: In honor of his remarkable legacy, NVIDIA named its most advanced AI chip, the Blackwell chip, after David Blackwell. This chip is the engine powering the new industrial revolution in artificial intelligence, bringing the promise of AI to industries, developers, and researchers worldwide.

  • National Medal of Science: Blackwell's outstanding work in mathematics and statistics earned him the prestigious National Medal of Science.

  • Pioneer in AI: Blackwell is often referred to as one of the forefathers of artificial intelligence, with his work in game theory and probability forming the foundation for many AI algorithms.

David Blackwell’s story is one of resilience, excellence, and a passion for scientific discovery. His life and work serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion in science and the lasting impact that one individual can have on the world.




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Quote of the Day: Langston Hughes

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