Cherry Lane Cemetery site on Staten Island, historic Black burial ground beneath commercial development

Beneath the Asphalt: How a Black Cemetery Disappeared From Staten Island Without the Dead Disappearing

Once a burial ground for Staten Island’s Black community, Cherry Lane Cemetery eventually disappeared beneath commercial development. InnerKwest follows the surviving records, unresolved legal history and people working to recover what the landscape nearly erased.

BLACK-POWER-WOMEN

Erased in Plain Sight: How Black Women Leaders Are Being Removed from Power

Part One of a Two-Part Series on “Patterned Lawfare” By InnerKwest Editorial Board | September 1, 2025 Introduction Across federal agencies, courts, and cultural institutions, a disturbing pattern is unfolding: Black women in positions of authority are being targeted, removed, or harassed under the guise of “policy” or “procedure.” These aren’t isolated incidents. They form a consistent chain—a patterned lawfare—that …