Historic Harlem Parks

The Daily Plant : Monday, April 22, 2002

COMMUNITY RESIDENTS SHARE VISION FOR MARCUS GARVEY PARK

On Wednesday, April 10, more than forty neighbors of Marcus Garvey Park, at 122^nd Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan, gathered at North General Hospital for a community visioning workshop organized by Partnerships for Parks. The workshop was designed to bring together community leaders and residents interested in contributing to the renewal of the park. Tamara Greenfield, Outreach Coordinator, worked to organize local residents and institutions that have been active volunteers as well as those who have expressed interest in the park but had not yet become involved. Representatives from over 20 neighborhood organizations were in attendance, including the Children's Aid Society, Cityscape, Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, Community Board 11, Harlem Little League, Maple Court, Maple Plaza, Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, Rheedlen Centers, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Two students from TRUCE, a media education group for teens, videotaped the workshop to present to their peers.

Participants stayed late into the evening, sharing their memories of Marcus Garvey Park. From basketball tournaments to jazz concerts to quiet family picnics, the park has been the scene of many happy times. Eventually participants were able to articulate their specific concerns and compare their ideas for the park’s future. Community resident Albert Davis suggested naming certain areas of the park to provide distinct identities for different locations, and former Parkie Jeannette Boyd added that installing bulletin boards listing park activities at each entrance would better inform and engage park users. With the help of Chandra Travis, a consultant hired to facilitate the meeting, community members worked together to reword their ideas as ten priorities that will direct future planning and action. Manhattan Outreach Coordinator Mary Price commented, "I am really pleased with the workshop. It seems like one of the main goals was achieved – everyone who participated is very committed to working together in the future." Ten participants volunteered to summarize what was discussed and create a report for the group at the next community meeting, which is scheduled to take place during the second week of May.

One of the oldest parks in the city, Marcus Garvey Park has long been a center for spiritual, cultural, and educational events in Harlem. In 1999, it was targeted as one of five parks in Partnerships' catalyst program for intensive outreach, constituency building, and programming. Funded by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds, the catalyst program seeks to refine and test a strategic combination of public, private, and community resources to benefit and revitalize five diverse parks. A stroll around Marcus Garvey Park today reveals the benefits of recent investment and improvement. From its flowering gardens at each entrance, active playgrounds, and rich cultural programming, Marcus Garvey has turned a corner in its development. These visioning sessions are the next step in the park's continuing revitalization.

(Monday, April 29, 1989)

On Sunday, March 26^th, Mounted Parks Enforcement Patrol officers George Correa and Eugene Rogers observed a man throw a glass bottle to the ground at South Beach on Staten Island. After the officers issued an Environmental Control Board Summons for littering, the suspect, 48-year-old Eugene Cox, removed a $20 bill from his pocket and offered it to Rogers to "forget the whole thing."

The officers then placed the man under arrest and took him to the 123^rd precinct, where he was later charged with bribery in the second degree, disorderly conduct and littering.

"I had therefore to remove knowledge,

in order to make room for belief."

(April 22, 1724–1804)

Know Before You Go

Jackie Robinson Recreation Center