Martin Luther King, Jr. Playground

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Playground in Harlem sits on land that was originally acquired by the city in nineteen forty-six for a housing project called the Stephen Foster Houses. It was named for the nineteenth-century American composer of famous folk songs like Oh Susanna and Camptown Races. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in nineteen sixty-eight, the surrounding housing complex was renamed in his honor, and the playground took his name as well to reflect the neighborhood's deep connection to his legacy.