Caribbean American Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s Legacy Lives On In Brooklyn’s Little Haiti

NEWS Americas, NY, NY, Tues. Feb. 10, 2026: The legacy of the late Caribbean American trailblazer Shirley Chisholm is taking physical form once again in Brooklyn, as city leaders this week announced the opening of the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY, a historic investment in community wellness, youth development, and public space in the heart of Little Haiti.

FLASHBACK – Then Caribbean American Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, after losing her bid for Democratic presidential nomination, endorses Senator George McGovern as she speaks from podium at Democratic National Convention.

Unveiled by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the new center is the first Parks recreation center built in more than a decade, the first ever in Central Brooklyn, and now the largest recreation center in the borough. City officials estimate it will serve more than 41,000 New Yorkers living within a 15-minute walk or transit ride of the facility.

Named in honor of Chisholm – the first Black and Caribbean American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first Black and Caribbean American woman to seek a major party’s presidential nomination – the center stands as a modern tribute to her lifelong commitment to equity, access, and community empowerment. Chisholm, whose parents immigrated from Barbados and Guyana, represented Brooklyn in Congress from 1969 to 1983 and famously ran “Unbought and Unbossed.”

“This center will soon be alive with possibility,” Mayor Mamdani said at the opening. “Shirley Chisholm believed politics should be accountable to everyday people. This space is a living tribute to her legacy — proving that when we invest in affordable, accessible public spaces, we build a city that works for all.”

Spanning approximately 74,000 square feet, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center offers far more than traditional gym facilities. It includes a competition-size six-lane swimming pool with full accessibility features, a walking track, a regulation gymnasium for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, cardio and weight rooms, and dedicated spin and exercise studios.

Beyond fitness, the center emphasizes education, creativity, and youth engagement – pillars that echo Chisholm’s own priorities. Amenities include a teaching kitchen, an afterschool program space with an outdoor play area, a supervised teens-only zone, and the Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab, named after the late Grenadian-born founder of the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce, (CAACI), complete with a mixing room for audio-visual production, podcasting, and digital storytelling.

NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura called the center a long-overdue investment in Central Brooklyn. “Over 41,000 New Yorkers now have an affordable space to exercise, learn, and connect,” she said. “This is exactly the kind of community infrastructure Shirley Chisholm fought for.”

Membership is free for New Yorkers 24 and under, with discounted rates for all ages. The center officially opens to the public today, Tuesday, February 10, and for its first week, all New Yorkers are invited to enjoy one free day of access to explore the facility before registering for membership. Guided tours, demonstrations, and sign-up events will also be held throughout the opening week.

Local elected officials praised the project as both a practical resource and a symbolic victory. Council Member Farah Louis noted that the center represents years of advocacy and a $141 million investment in a community long underserved by recreational infrastructure. State Senator Kevin Parker called it “a statement about what our communities deserve.”

As Brooklyn marks Black History Month and reflects on a century of Black political progress, the opening of the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center offers more than brick and mortar. It delivers a tangible reminder that Chisholm’s legacy – rooted in Caribbean migration, courage, and public service — continues to shape the future of the communities she fought to uplift.

In East Flatbush, her name now anchors a space designed not just to serve, but to empower – a living embodiment of “Unbought and Unbossed.”

ABOUT CHISHOLM

Shirley Anita Chisholm (1924–2005) was a groundbreaking U.S. politician who made history in 1968 as the first Black woman elected to Congress, representing Brooklyn for seven terms (1969–1983). Born in New York to Caribbean immigrant parents from Barbados and Guyana, Chisholm spent part of her childhood in Barbados and carried the West Indian heritage throughout her life and public service.

In 1972, she shattered another barrier as the first Black candidate to seek a major-party presidential nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination, campaigning under her iconic motto, “Unbought and Unbossed.” Known for fearless advocacy, she took resolute stands against economic, social, and political injustice, championing civil rights, women’s rights, education, and anti-poverty programs. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, cementing her legacy as a Caribbean-rooted American pioneer.