14 APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Jackie Robinson honored during
co-naming on MacDonough Street
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Honor -
ing a
legend
who meant a
great deal not
just to sports
and Brooklyn,
but America.
Jackie Robinson,
the first
African-American
to play in
Major League
Baseball when
he made his debut
on April 15, 1947 for the Brooklyn
Dodgers, was honored the day before
the 71st anniversary of having broken
the color barrier on the street he once
called home.
On Saturday, April 14, MacDonough
Street between Ralph and Patchen
Avenues, was co-named Jackie Robinson
Way during a ceremony which
was attended by elected officials, local
residents, advocates and more. The
City Council unanimously approved
the co-naming back in February.
“Jackie Robinson once lived with his
wife and baby on MacDonough Street,”
said Valerie Oliver-Durrah, president
and CEO of one of the day’s sponsors,
the Neighborhood Technical Assistance
Clinic (NTAC).
The timing, she added, was perfect.
The block recently celebrated, "Over
60 years of annual block parties
and also the anniversary of the 500
Macdonough Street Association,"
Oliver-Durrah explained, adding,
"We thought that we would co-name
the block after one of our famous
neighbors and Jackie was the one who
everyone was excited about.
“The City Council is taking the time
to build community and cultural
pride in neighborhoods by renaming
streets after people that lived in that
area at one time," Oliver-Durrah
went on. "This is a great thing for
Bedford-Stuyvesant."
Among those who spoke were Public
Speaker Letitia James.
“As we continue the process of fighting
for equality and representation, it
is important to remember the struggles
that people like Jackie Robinson
faced to get us to where we are today
and to ensure that our younger generations
know this history too," she said.
"And I know this street will serve as a
constant reminder of him and his life’s
work."
“It was a beautiful day in the village
of Bedford-Stuyvesant with the 500
Block MacDonough Street Association,
as they unveiled a historic block
co-naming for our former neighbor,
Jackie Robinson,” added Borough
President Eric Adams. “Thank you,
#42, for everything you have done for
Brooklyn and all Americans.”
Youth leader 14-year-old Esai Ellis,
opened up the program.
“Everybody who came to the mic
talked about needing to see more
of our young people engaged in our
community, activities and events and
congratulating MacDonough Street
bringing a young person to talk about
an African American giant in such
a time as this,” Oliver-Durrah said.
“Fifty years from now, he’ll remember
this day. And he will also remember
the quote from Jackie that a life is not
important except the impact it has on
others. Now he’s saying he wants to
grow up, get a good job, but also help
people like Mr. Robinson did.”
A former neighbor of the late baseball
great also spoke.
“We had a family member on the
block by the name of Judge Larry D.
Martin and he was five years old when
Jackie came to the block,” he said as he
shared stories of Robinson. “He would
always bring a bag home and have
candy that he would give to all the
children to the block. He cared about
the community.”
The co-naming is more than just a
sign for the neighborhood; it is also a
symbol, Oliver-Durrah stressed.
“There’s a question that is often
asked,” she said. “Can anything good
come out of Bedford-Stuyvesant? And
the answer is yes. Jackie Robinson was
a young man who was abandoned by
his father in California. You never
know when you're going to find a jewel.
He rose and made his family proud.
For Bed-Stuy, he leaves a legacy of
good character."
Among the sponsors of the celebration
were National Grid, the Jackie
Robinson Foundation and the New
York Mets. Participants in the celebration
included the Black Cowboys.
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BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Trey Pentecost
Unveiling the sign proclaiming Jackie Robinson Way on
Saturday, April 14.
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