New York City renames Queens Park for Gwen Ifill. [View all]
New York City announced Thursday that its renaming 16 of its parks and recreation areas to honor the legacies of 16 Black Americans. Among the luminaries honored is the late PBS NewsHour co-anchor Gwen Ifill.
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Railroad Park in Queens, a 16-acre natural area thats home to migratory birds, will be known as Gwen Ifill Park. Its original name is a nod to the Long Island Railroad tracks that form one of the park's boundaries. There is $21 million in funding to develop the largely fenced-off area, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
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Ifill, a journalist and author born in Jamaica, Queens, was the first Black woman to anchor a nationally televised public affairs show, Washington Week. She worked at the NewsHour for 17 years, until her death from complications of cancer in 2016. She covered eight presidential campaigns and moderated two vice presidential debates.
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