For Immediate Release: August 13, 2022

Contact: Media Inquiries | media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA Dedicates Marlboro Houses Recreational Area as Sara Lee McWhite Park

Assemblymembers Cymbrowitz and Colton gave $2 million to refurbish the space, which is being dedicated in honor of a Marlboro Houses changemaker

NEW YORK, NY – Today, elected officials joined with Marlboro Houses residents and resident leaders to celebrate the dedication of a newly refurbished recreational area known locally as “the skatepark” as the Sara Lee McWhite Park.

Assemblymembers Steven Cymbrowitz and William Colton, in partnership with the New York State Dormitory Authority (DASNY), gave a $2 million grant to revitalize the skatepark at the corner of West 11 Street and Avenue X with new benches, trees, fencing, pavement and barbeque pits, and held a ribbon cutting during last year’s Family Day on August 14, 2021, to celebrate the reopening. Residents, led by Tenant Association President Amarilys Herrera, petitioned to rename the area after Sara Lee McWhite, a longtime Marlboro Houses resident, NYCHA employee and community advocate, who founded Marlboro Prep, the first-ever high school diploma and general equivalency program in a public housing development, and served as a NYCHA Community Coordinator from February 1985 until her death in October 2008.

“Sara Lee McWhite worked tirelessly for more than two decades to ensure that everyone in her community had access to the resources capable of enriching their lives,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We are pleased to christen this well-utilized area in Ms. McWhite’s honor and are indebted to Assemblymembers Cymbrowitz and Colton for facilitating the refurbishment of this recreational area on behalf of NYCHA residents.”

“Sara Lee McWhite was a public servant in the truest sense, from her commitment to uplifting her community to founding Marlboro Prep and her work with NYCHA, she always put her neighbors first,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “I applaud Assemblymember Cymbrowitz, DASNY and TA President Herrera for honoring Ms. McWhite’s legacy by renaming the skatepark after her. This newly refurbished open space will provide residents a place to enjoy their community and celebrate such an incredible leader of Marlboro Houses.”

“The renaming of this area in Sara Lee McWhite’s honor is the fulfillment of months of dedication to making sure that a woman who almost single-handedly helped revitalize Marlboro Houses is able to get her proper due,” said Marlboro Houses Tenant Association President Amarilys Herrera. “She was a great person, a very strong woman. Anyone who needed help in the community, she would help them out. She helped a lot of people to make sure they got a GED and accomplish things.”

A tenant association meeting was held in June to officially petition naming the area after Sara Lee McWhite and the vote was unanimous, with many residents expressing strong support for the name change.

Though the area dedicated in Ms. McWhite’s honor was called “the skatepark,” it had for many years been used primarily for recreation and Family Days. The naming initiative was strongly supported by residents and resident leadership; Ms. McWhite’s family, including her two sons who grew up at Marlboro Houses; and elected officials, including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, New York City Councilmember Ari Kagan, New York State Senator Diane Savino and Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis — in addition to New York State Assemblymembers Steve Cymbrowitz and William Colton.

Assemblymember Cymbrowitz represents Assembly District 45, which consists of Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Midwood, among other communities located in Brooklyn. Assemblymember Colton represents District 47, which includes Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Dyker Heights and Midwood. They are both actively involved in community initiatives at Marlboro Houses, frequently touring the facilities with NYCHA leadership; providing meals to residents and participating in Family Days at the development.

"Sara Lee McWhite loved Marlboro Houses and believed deeply in the power of community to make the world a better place," said Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz. "She would be pleased that this newly-renovated space will serve as a gathering place for people of all generations to share conversations, relax, play games and enjoy experiences that bring them closer together."

“This grant reflects something that the Marlboro residents needed, and I am glad that we were able to make it happen,” said Assemblymember William Colton. “I am gratified that working together with the State Dormitory Authority and NYCHA, these improvements were provided to the residents of Marlboro Housing. Sara Lee McWhite was a longtime resident who always dreamed of such a facility, which Marlboro families will be able to enjoy and remember her.”

“It is only fitting that we’re renaming the Marlboro Houses public space after a long-time advocate of this community, Ms. Sara Lee McWhite,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Ms. McWhite was not only a resident of Marlboro Houses for over two decades, but she made sure she was an active and positive member of this community, creating the first GED program in a public housing development, supporting substance use disorder programs for youth, and advocating against redistricting that would split their community in two. Today, we are memorializing Ms. McWhite’s contributions with this renaming and encouraging more residents to leave their mark in their neighborhood.”

“As the Councilmember proudly representing the entire community of Marlboro Houses, I am very grateful to Assemblymembers Steven Cymbrowitz and William Colton for allocating $2 million to the skatepark in Marlboro,” said City Councilmember Ari Kagan. “I was very glad to learn that the NYCHA Board recently approved the renaming of this skatepark after former Resident Association President and dedicated community leader Sara Lee McWhite. And I am also thrilled to report that NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams supported my request for $8 million for much needed capital improvements and renovation of Marlboro Community Center. Working closely together with NYCHA, city, state and federal elected officials and the Resident Association, we will improve quality of life for all residents of Marlboro Houses.”

In 1988, Ms. McWhite founded Marlboro Prep, with 36 students in the first year — all of minority backgrounds and between the ages of 17 and 21 – and an estimated 25 students each year after for approximately a decade.

Ms. McWhite helped organized the first Marlboro Houses Family Days; countless block parties partnering with local police and other organizations; a summer camp for kids in the neighborhood; the first Marlboro Houses Roving Patrol (community watch) and served as its director; and gave out free turkeys on Thanksgiving and toys on Christmas using her own funds.

Ms. McWhite was politically active and fought against redistricting that would split Marlboro Houses in two, served as the Chair of Education and Library Committee for Community Board 13, ran for the school board, and often testified at government sponsored hearings in favor of issues that benefited Marlboro Houses and her neighbors. In 1988, she was given the first neighborhood Martin Luther King Peace Award for her work "promoting peace and interracial harmony in the Marlboro-Bensonhurst community."

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.