The beloved Staten Island tavern where everyone left with respect – until arson destroyed it in 1983

by Community News | Jul 12, 2026 | Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Updated: July. 12, 2026, 4:15 p.m. | Published: July. 11, 2026, 5:50 a.m. Sandy Ground is the nation’s oldest free Black settlement continuously inhabited by descendants. Advance Local Express Desk By Amanda Faublas | afaublas@siadvance.com   EDITOR’S NOTE...

Generations reunite on Staten Island for 58-year tradition of family, faith and celebration

by Community News | Jun 9, 2026 | Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Updated: Mar. 12, 2026, 11:19 a.m. | Published: Mar. 11, 2026, 5:50 a.m. Sandy Ground is the nation’s oldest free Black settlement continuously inhabited by descendants. Advance Local Express Desk By Tracey Porpora | porpora@siadvance.com EDITOR’S NOTE This...

Centuries-old Staten Island community takes spotlight in Columbia oral history project

by Community News | May 18, 2026 | News, Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Sandy Ground descendants traveled to Columbia University to share stories of a Staten Island community that has endured since 1828, surviving devastating fires and development while preserving its heritage through faith and family. (Courtesy of Heather Butts)Heather...

She was forced to leave the Staten Island ‘village” she loved. Now her daughter is fighting to preserve its history

by Community News | May 11, 2026 | Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Updated: Mar. 12, 2026, 11:19 a.m. | Published: Mar. 11, 2026, 5:50 a.m. Sandy Ground is the nation’s oldest free Black settlement continuously inhabited by descendants. Advance Local Express Desk By Tracey Porpora | porpora@siadvance.com EDITOR’S NOTE This...

“THEY TREAT ME LIKE FAMILY”: A historic Staten Island church offers more than faith—it offers belonging

by Community News | Apr 30, 2026 | News, Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Published: Apr. 30, 2026, 5:30 a.m By Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com EDITOR’S NOTE This story is part of an ongoing journalistic initiative to rally the community and the country around a critical, but endangered, historical site: Sandy Ground, the...

She grew up in a Staten Island community built on freedom — and at 102, she’s still telling the story

by Community News | Apr 21, 2026 | Rossville AMEZ, Sandy Ground, Staten Island Advance

Updated: Apr. 03, 2026, 11:19 a.m. | Published: Apr. 03, 2026, 5:30 a.m By Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com EDITOR’S NOTE This story is part of an ongoing journalistic initiative to rally the community and the country around a critical, but...