The Flushing Bay Promenade in Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been renamed Malcolm X Promenade in honor the leading civil rights and African American Muslim leader and spokesman for the Nation of Islam.
At the time of his murder at Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom in 1965, he lived with his family at 23-11 97th St. in East Elmhurst, just south of LaGuardia Airport.
Additionally, The Oval in St. Albans Park is now known as Musician’s Oval to honor numerous African Americans and Black luminaries in the jazz world including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Lena Horne who lived in the Addisleigh neighborhood, an enclave in St. Albans that is a landmarked historic district.
Railroad Park in Jamaica was also renamed Gwen Ifill Park to honor the first African American woman to anchor a nationally televised public affairs program, “Washington Week in Review.” Iffil later co-anchored “PBS NewsHour.” Gwen Ifill Park is currently undeveloped and there is $21 million in capital funding to build out the green space.
NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver announced the three Queens park renamings, as well as other parks across the five boroughs, in honor of the Black experience in New York City.
“In the past year, we have named 28 park spaces in honor of the Black experience. It is our commitment to change in action,” Mitchell said Wednesday, June 16. “These green spaces and park facilities are critical resources in the communities they serve and we want to ensure that they bear names that inspire pride, encourage meaningful discourse and represent the people it serves.”
The newly named spaces represent educators, Civil Rights leaders, pioneers in the LGBTA+ community, novelists, playwrights, abolitionists and more.
“Our parks and green spaces are critical community spaces, and these renamings in honor of the Black experience are physical reminders of the contributions and legacies of Black New Yorkers across our city,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “I thank NYC Parks for their commitment to maintaining and creating these beautiful green spaces for all New Yorkers to enjoy and for their tireless work on racial justice.”
