The rain fell in steady sheets on Sunday, but it couldn’t dampen the celebratory spirit. The planned dedication ceremony for Holcombe Rucker Park, a site known for its legendary sun-drenched showdowns, was forced indoors.
Yet, as the crowd gathered at the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center, where the Rucker Pro Legend league holds its indoor tournaments, a sense of history was in the air. A century in the making, a new chapter was being written for Harlem, for basketball, and for African American culture.
The occasion was the official designation of Holcombe Rucker Park as a National Commemorative Site—a landmark achievement spearheaded by U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat, supported by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, The National Park Service and graciously executed by The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce (GHCC)…