New state park in Brooklyn to honor Shirley Chisholm

September 6, 2018 Associated Press

Rendering courtesy of New York State Parks

Share this:

A new state park under construction in Brooklyn will be named in honor of former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo traveled to the site of the park, which we wrote about in January, on Wednesday to announce the name.

In 1968 Chisholm became the first African-American woman elected to Congress. A Brooklyn native, Chisolm was also the first African American to run for president as a major party candidate and the first woman to seek the Democratic nomination for president.

The new park is being built on former landfill space along Jamaica Bay. When completed next summer it’s expected to boast open space along the water, bike paths and educational facilities.