These prints are a visual memoir of the life before and after the 1863 New York Draft Riots that burned down The Colored Orphan Asylum. I chose The Colored Orphan Asylum, later named The Riverdale Children’s Association, because of my interest in the care and nurturing of African American orphans during the early-mid 1800’s. As a mother, I feel deeply connected because of the fulfillment of caring for my own daughter. The memory of the New York Colored Asylum is important to New York history because it was one of the only orphanages in New York that took African-American children in who had lost a parent, been abandoned, or were in need of temporary housing in the early 1840’s. Today, it is important to remember that through community efforts we can all provide the equal care needed for all children.