The Flatbush community and city officials on Nov. 23 celebrated the 100th birthday of civil rights pioneer Shirley Chisholm where her namesake recreation center will be built.
Hosted by the city Parks and Recreation Department, residents enjoyed a day of music, dancing, sports, games and more, according to a press release.
Located at Nostrand Playground, the $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, once finished, will span multiple floors and include a gymnasium, an indoor track, a swimming pool, fitness rooms and a teaching kitchen.
The center will also house the Dr. Roy Hastick Media Lab, honoring the late Caribbean American community leader. The center aims to fulfill the dual purpose of commemorating Chisholm’s legacy and addressing the long-standing need for public recreation facilities in Central Brooklyn.
Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first woman to seek a major-party presidential nomination, was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 30, 1924.
“Shirley Chisholm is a Brooklyn icon,” said NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “Through her activism, her service in Congress, and her historic run for President, she inspired millions of people throughout our city and across the country, especially women and people of color.”
When completed, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will be the first new recreation center built by NYC Parks in nearly a decade, symbolizing a renewed focus on community investment.
