Effort underway to landmark Jackie Robinson house
Community leaders join to Celebrate Civil Rights pioneer's legacy in advance of "42" movie's release
Thursday, Council Member Jumaane D. Williams joined community members in East Flatbush to proclaim his effort to get New York City landmark status for 5224 Tilden Avenue, better known to the public as the Jackie Robinson House. Robinson lived at this address in East Flatbush from 1947 – when he earned the Rookie of Year award with the Brooklyn Dodgers – through 1949, when he was voted Most Valuable Player. Council Member Williams declared that achieving city landmark status for the property would help safeguard the house’s historic, aesthetic, and cultural heritage, help stabilize and improve property values in the surrounding area, and encourage civic pride. The news comes a day before the theatrical release of “42”, a biographical film about the life of the baseball great and civil rights pioneer.
“Heroes like Jackie Robinson come from East Flatbush, and we need to treasure and preserve that history,” said Council Member Williams. “This house is proof of the rich culture that exists south of Eastern Parkway. Jackie had an impact on the lives of every member of this community through his bravery on and off the field. We must protect that legacy for future generations to learn from and appreciate.
Council Member Williams was joined by the current owners of the Jackie Robinson House, who are heirs to the family that rented to the Robinsons. The oldest living heir, Rose Bowman, gave an oral presentation to the audience, which included a class of fifth-grade students from nearby PS 244 about the history of the house, the prejudices the families faced when they integrated into the neighborhood and fond memories of the Robinsons’ time spent there as tenants. The current owners expressed their gratitude for the landmarking effort and mentioned their interest in seeing the home eventually turning into a museum.
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