Carla Peterson recounts the lives of black elites in New York City in the 19th century. Professor Peterson examines a community of black New Yorkers, which included her ancestors, prior to the Civil War whose occupations afforded them upper-class status under the constant threat of racial violence. Carla Peterson discussed her book at the Jefferson Market Library in New York City. The February 28, 2011, program was part of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s African American History Month Series.