Hidden in Plain Sight: Black Communities on Eastern Long Island:

Eastern Long Island holds a rich but often overlooked history of African American communities. From the early Black settlement associated with the Betsy Prince site in Rocky Point to the twentieth-century community of Gordon Heights, and historic East End communities such as Freetown in East Hampton and Sag Harbor, Black families established neighborhoods, churches, and community networks that once shaped the region’s landscape. Drawing on archival research, this presentation highlights the stories these residents left behind, revealing how their lives and communities shaped the history of Eastern Long Island in ways that have long remained hidden in plain sight.