Mission
The Northeast Corridor Freedom Network is a 501(c)(3) whose goal is to research, document, and educate the public about African American heritage sites—including burial grounds, churches, and related cultural landmarks—and to promote community remembrance and historical justice across the Northeast Corridor from Washington, DC to the state of Maine. This mission includes honoring and learning about the lives and contributions of people of the African Diaspora.
Our Team
Heather Quinlan
Heather began her career as a Web Producer for Discovery.com before moving into filmmaking. Her first feature-length documentary, If These Knishes Could Talk: The Story of the New York Accent, was featured in The New Yorker and streamed on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and Roku. Heather has also worked as a Location Scout for HBO and Production Manager for American River, which recently aired on PBS.
PresidentDebbie-Ann Paige
Debbie-Ann Paige is a public historian and professional genealogist specializing in community and local African-American history. She is co-president and a founding member of the Richard B. Dickenson Staten Island Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society and serves on the New York City Council task force examining monuments and public art. Her work includes In Pursuit of Freedom, the Louis Napoleon House Underground Railroad designation, and consulting on The Black Angels. She has appeared on Secrets of New York and PBS’s Metrofocus and Treasures of New York.
Vice President
Gabriella Leone has over ten years experience as a museum professional. Her practice of public history connects community history to national historical themes; and emphasizes collaboration, access, and equity. Her work has included exhibitions, digitization, and crowdsourced transcription projects. She currently works as the Curator at Historic Richmond Town, a living history village and historical museum in Staten Island, NY. She holds a Master's in History and an Advanced Certificate in public history from the College of Staten Island.
SecretaryGabriella Leone
Kanika Khanna is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America. She earned her PhD in Government from Cornell University, focusing on American politics, race, inequality, and public policy. Her research examines how policy shapes relationships to space, belonging, and equity, particularly for communities of color in New York City. Previously, she worked with the NYPD Inspector General’s Office and in affordable housing development. She holds an MPP from Brown University and a BA from CUNY Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island.
Treasurer