Cadman Plaza Park

Spurred by the the fight to end systemic racism and in solidarity with the Black community in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, NYC Parks designated Juneteenth Grove on June 19, 2020, in Brooklyn’s downtown Cadman Plaza.  Juneteenth, now recognized as a federal holiday, commemorates the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation established two years earlier as Federal law under President Abraham Lincoln. In addition to the honorary naming of the grove, NYC Parks planted 19 flowering trees and installed specially designed banners and benches in the colors of the Pan-African flag.

Five months later on November 2—recognized as Black Solidarity Day—NYC Parks renamed ten parks and park features, two in each borough, in honor of the Black experience, and in June 2021 named another 16 park spaces in tribute to Black individuals of distinction.

NYC Parks strives to encourage social discourse and broaden our understanding of our history, and to make the park system more diverse and reflective of the people it serves.