The new park named after Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward located next to the F train entrance in DUMBO is opening this summer to the public. The park will feature brand new playground equipment and water sprinklers for ages 2 to 12, adult fitness area, synthetic turf for community events like movie nights and concerts, projector for movie nights, seating, new trees, public bathrooms, 5 water fountains and more. All community members are invited to join the new friends group @ DrSusanPark on FB and Instagram and to create a neighborhood park for all who live in the area!
The park is named for pioneering physician Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward (1847 – 1918). She was the first African-American female physician in New York State and the third in the nation. She maintained a medical practice from 1870 to 1895, specializing in prenatal care and childhood diseases, and co-founded the Brooklyn Women’s Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary. She also served as an official physician at the Brooklyn Home for Aged Colored People, one of the first medical institutions in Weeksville. She was a member of the Kings County Medical Society and New York State Homeopathic Medical Societies. In addition to her impact as a medical professional, McKinney Steward was a steadfast advocate for women’s rights and racial equality, helping found the Women’s Loyal Union and serving in the Equal Suffrage League of Brooklyn. In 1911, she delivered a speech titled “Colored Women in America” at the first Universal Race Congress.
