READ MORE:

 READ MORE: 

Black History is American History: Schomburg Center, other institutions preserve New York City's story

Just 200 years ago, enslaved people made up more than 10% of the New Rochelle population, a painful fact in a city that now prides itself as welcoming and diverse.

"And if we're honest with each other, and have the opportunity to talk about our differences, it happens when we each come from a place of pride, a place of respect for our heritage and the heritage of others," said Leslie Demus of the New Rochelle Council on the Arts.