Sankofa Park

This sturdy playground is both a destination for children in New Lots and surrounding neighborhoods, and a prominent site of New York's African American history. The playground features a nautical animal themed spray shower, with seals and whales for children to climb and play.

The playground rests on a former cemetery used by the local Black community as a burial site for free and enslaved African Americans. In 2016, the playground was renamed Sankofa Park in honor of the site's history. Both a word in the Akan Twi language of Ghana and a Bono Adinkra symbol, Sankofa refers to a mythic bird that flies into the future while keeping its beak turned toward the past. Its translation tells us that “it isn’t taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.”

Discover the history of Sankofa Park

Facilities

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  Basketball Courts
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  Playgrounds
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  Public Restrooms
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  Spray Showers

Park Information

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• Inspections
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More About Sankofa Park

Zip Code:11207
Community Board: 05
Council Member: Chris Banks
Park ID: B261
Acreage: 0.85
Property Type: Playground

Lost and Found Information

Other Parks Nearby

• Martin Luther King Jr. Playground (0.27 miles)
• Elton Playground (0.28 miles)
• Linwood Playground (0.30 miles)
• Duke Park (0.38 miles)
• Sutter Ballfields (0.39 miles)