News Release

Healing Day Bell Ringing Ceremony

NPS Photo

News Release Date: August 21, 2019 In late August 1619, the first enslaved Africans landed in English-occupied North America. 400 years later, the National Park Service (NPS) will offer special programs to commemorate four centuries of African American history.  

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site will join national parks across the country in a special Healing Day Bell Ringing Ceremony on Sunday, August 25 at 3 pm. Participants will hear the stories of enslaved people who lived at or visited Lindenwald. All will have the opportunity to participate in a four-minute bell ringing, each minute symbolizing a century of African American history. Please meet park staff on the steps of Lindenwald at 2:50 pm for a few appropriate remarks before the commemoration.

Park staff encourages visitors to attend interpretive programs before and after the event. At 2:10, rangers will offer a 30-minute tour of the farm, including stories of the enslaved farmers and freedmen who worked the land. The scheduled 3 pm house tour will begin at 3:10 to allow attendees to participate in the commemoration. Park staff will also share a digital version of the bell ringing on social media. 

Bells are symbols of freedom. They are rung for joy, sorrow, alarm, and celebration: universal concepts in each of our lives. This symbolic gesture will enable Americans to participate in this historic moment from wherever they are--to capture the spirit of healing and reconciliation while honoring the significance of 400 years of African American history and culture. The park invites the Kinderhook community to participate in the bell ringing by attending the on-site program or ringing a bell at their location.

August 25 also marks the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service. It is the honor and privilege of the NPS to tell the stories of all Americans. For more information, call Martin Van Buren National Historic Site at 518-758-9689