New York City has opened a major new community facility in Brooklyn named for trailblazing Caribbean-American political icon Shirley Chisholm, with officials highlighting her regional heritage and lifelong commitment to public service as central to the project’s significance.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani on February 10 announced the opening of the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, a state-of-the-art public facility located in the heart of Central Brooklyn’s Little Haiti community. The centre honours the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress — a Brooklyn-born leader of Guyanese and Barbadian descent whose family roots and upbringing were deeply tied to the Caribbean.
The approximately 74,000-square-foot recreation centre, situated in Nostrand Playground, is the largest of its kind in Brooklyn, the first new Parks recreation centre built in more than a decade and the first ever in Central Brooklyn. It is expected to serve residents of East Flatbush and Midwood, with more than 41,000 New Yorkers living within a 15-minute walk or transit ride.
Speaking at the opening, Mamdani said the facility represents the city’s commitment to affordability and community investment.
“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will soon be alive with possibility — kids learning to swim, cook, and grow their own food; friends coming together on the court; neighbors of every generation creating and connecting, from the gym to the podcast studio,” he said. “Shirley Chisholm believed that politics should be accountable to everyday people. In that spirit, this center will stand as a living tribute to her legacy — proving that when we invest in truly affordable, accessible public spaces, we can build a city that works for all of us.”
The centre officially opened to the public February 10, with a week of guided tours, registration events and demonstrations. Membership will be free for all New Yorkers aged 24 and under, while discounts will be available for residents of all ages.
Caribbean heritage at the forefront
Chisholm, born Shirley Anita St. Hill in Brooklyn in 1924, was the daughter of immigrant parents from British Guiana (now Guyana) and Barbados. She spent part of her childhood in Barbados between the ages of five and nine and always described herself as Barbadian-American.
Her father, Charles St. Hill, was born in British Guiana before moving to Barbados and later New York, while her mother, Ruby Seale, emigrated from Christ Church, Barbados. Chisholm’s Caribbean upbringing and cultural grounding were widely credited with shaping her discipline, academic success and political outlook.
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She rose to national prominence in 1968 when she became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Brooklyn’s 12th congressional district for seven terms. In 1972, she became the first Black candidate for a major-party nomination for U.S. president and the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Known for her “Unbought and Unbossed” slogan, she was a fierce advocate for civil rights, women’s rights and social justice.
Chisholm also played a key role in expanding food and nutrition programmes for low-income Americans during her congressional career. She retired from Congress in 1983, later teaching at Mount Holyoke College and continuing her political organising. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman, herself the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, underscored Chisholm’s Caribbean roots during the opening ceremony.
“As we celebrate 100 years of Black History, it is fitting that we are opening the first ever facility of its kind in Central Brooklyn, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, named after a Black Caribbean historian with Bajan roots who represented us on the federal and state level,” she said. “This space is a valuable resource for our community. This is a moment of great pride where we as leaders need to continue her legacy to embody her motto — Unbought & Unbossed.”
A modern community hub
City officials say the centre is designed as a comprehensive community hub, offering recreation, education and cultural programming. Facilities include an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, walking track, fitness and cardio rooms, and a public plaza for community gatherings. The building also features a teaching kitchen, green roof and is being built to meet LEED Gold environmental certification standards.
The centre will also house the Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab, named for the Grenadian-born founder of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a longtime East Flatbush community advocate. The lab will provide space for audiovisual production and digital learning.
Officials say the centre stands not only as a tribute to Chisholm’s historic achievements but also as a reflection of the Caribbean-American community that helped shape her legacy and continues to play a central role in Brooklyn’s cultural and political life.