"We are in the presence of something extraordinary right now, and I want to thank all the elected officials in this room who fought for and advocated for this. But a special thank you to Farah Louis because throughout this whole process, if I saw Farah anywhere, she brought this up to try to make this happen."
"Williams got the idea in the aftermath of the police-involved shooting and death of 16-year-old Kimani Gray in 2013, and from talking to at-risk youth on the streets who had nowhere else to go."
"Shirley was truly a trailblazer who was unbossed, unbought and unapologetic in her commitment to justice."
The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, Brooklyn's newest and largest recreation facility, was officially recognized on March 8, 2026, at 3105 Farragut Place in East Flatbush. The center was named after Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and a 1972 presidential candidate. The project originated over a decade ago when Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and then-staff member Farah Louis, now District 45 Councilmember, worked with community members following the 2013 police shooting death of 16-year-old Kimani Gray. They identified the need for safe spaces for at-risk youth. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Marty Maher, and multiple city departments collaborated to create a fully equipped, state-of-the-art facility. The celebration brought together elected officials, residents, community stakeholders, and Chisholm's family members.
#recreation-center #community-development #shirley-chisholm #brooklyn-infrastructure #youth-services
Read at NY Carib News
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