Chicago Park District Commemorates Black History Month with
Parks Named after Influential African Americans The Chicago Park
District recognizes African Americans who have made important
contributions to their communities and to the city at large by
naming more than 40 parks in their honor. Click here to watch a
video. Chicago parks are named after such influential African
Americans as Gwendolyn Brooks, George Washington Carver,
Lorraine Hansberry, Mahalia Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, and
Harold Washington. Features within parks have also been named
such as: - November 2012 dedication of the basketball courts at
Fernwood Park, 10436 S. Wallace St., to McGlother “Mac” Irvin,
the godfather of Chicago high school basketball. - October 2011
dedication of a playground at Cole Park, 361 E. 85th St., after
fallen Chicago police officer Thomas Wortham. - February 2010
dedication of the Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs Gallery in the South
Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr., to the late
Chicago Park District