Truth Be Told: Uncovering Newburgh’s Hidden Blocks

During the 1960-70s large swaths of the Newburgh riverfront were demolished with the promise that it would be rebuilt to rejuvenate the city and its inhabitants.

In the best case, this was a broken promise and at worst a blatant lie.

The firm in charge of Urban Renewal targeted majority Black and Brown communities who had been the victims of racist propaganda and years of infrastructure neglect. In total, 9 city streets were fully or partially destroyed, over 1,300 buildings demolished, and more than 800 families displaced. Over the bones of these homes and communities, the city eventually built a new police station, the SUNY Orange campus, low income housing, or just left them empty.