Res. No. 209
Resolution calling upon the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate 5224 Tilden Avenue (Tax Block 4737, Tax Lot 10), Borough of Brooklyn, the home of Jackie Robinson, as an historic landmark pursuant to Section 3020 of the New York City Charter.
By Council Members Williams, Gibson, Rose, Richards, King, Chin, Koslowitz, Espinal, Deutsch, Garodnick and Rosenthal
Whereas, Jackie Robinson was a pioneer who, on April 15, 1947, broke Major League Baseball's color barrier and became the first African American to play for a MLB team, the Brooklyn Dodgers; and
Whereas, Jackie Robinson, who began his career in the Negro Leagues, was named Rookie of the Year in 1947 and led the Brooklyn Dodgers to six National League pennants in ten years and a World Series Championship; and
Whereas, Jackie Robinson's inspiring career earned him recognition as the first African American to win a batting title, lead the league in stolen bases, play in an All-Star game, play in the World Series and win a Most Valuable Player award; and
Whereas, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and was the first African American to receive this honor; and
Whereas, In March 1984, President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded Jackie Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
Whereas, On October 29, 2003, the United States Congress posthumously awarded Jackie Robinson the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that it can bestow; and
Whereas, Major League Baseball renamed the Rookie of the Year Award the Jackie Robinson Award in his honor; and
Whereas, Mr. Robinson's legacy helps to make the American dream more accessible to all; and
Whereas, To honor Jackie Robinson's historic achievements, in 1997 Major League Baseball retired his number, 42, throughout baseball; and
Whereas, Between 1947 to 1949, Jackie Robinson and his family occupied the home located at 5224 Tilden Avenue, in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, and during that time was named the MLB's Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player; and
Whereas, The home, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, was not only inhabited by Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier, but was the home of the first African-American family in East Flatbush, the Palins; and
Whereas, If it were not for the fact that one of their neighbors, the Satlows, stood up to the overwhelming racism displayed by the residents of East Flatbush at the time by refusing to sign a petition barring the Palins from purchasing the home, the Palins would not have been able to purchase this property; and
Whereas, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey proposed that Jackie Robinson move into this home as a symbolic gesture to combat the effects of segregation which still permeated throughout East Flatbush in the 1940's; and
Whereas, It was relatives of the Palins who rented the Tilden Avenue home to Jackie Robinson and his family; and
Whereas, The overwhelming majority of constituents from East Flatbush, along with federal, state, and local elected officials, the local Community Board and neighborhood business owners all wholeheartedly support landmarking this property; and
Whereas, A nationwide petition calling for the landmark designation of this home by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as of this date have in excess of 8,500 signatures; and
Whereas, Jackie Robinson made great contributions to the cause of racial and economic justice, and conferring landmark status to his East Flatbush home is critical to the recognition and preservation of his historical achievements; and
Whereas, For African-Americans in East Flatbush, this home represents the triumph over the bigotry and discrimination; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate 5224 Tilden Avenue (Tax Block 4737, Tax Lot 10), Borough of Brooklyn, the home of Jackie Robinson as an historic landmark pursuant to Section 3020 of the New York City Charter.
L.S. 1364/2014
AFM
4/16/14