Brooklynites

The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities That Shaped a Borough

2025 Gotham Book Prize Finalist

The 2024 Victorian Society Book of the Year
Meet the Black Brooklynites who defined New York City’s most populous borough through their search for social justice
Before it was a borough, Brooklyn was our nation’s third largest city. Its free Black community attracted people from all walks of lifebusinesswomen, church leaders, laborers, and writerswho sought to grow their city in a radical anti-slavery vision. The residents of neighborhoods like DUMBO, Fort Greene, and Williamsburg organized and agitated for social justice. They did so even as their own freedom was threatened by systemic and structural racism, risking their safety for the sake of their city. Brooklynites recovers the lives of these remarkable citizens and considers their lasting impact on New York City’s mos