Community members and advocates rallied to demand a name change to John Mullaly Park in the Bronx, saying the racist history of the park's namesake is not representative of the borough.

Advocates of a name change point to Mullaly’s history as a copperhead - an agitator and instigator of the draft riots during the Civil War. 

The Parks Department describes him as a “tireless proponent of green space and the father of Bronx parks.”

In November, the department announced that it is reviewing name options and says it has plans to announce a name change in June.  In a statement, the department says, "We are in communication with the various stakeholders advocating for Mullaly Park’s renaming and announced our commitment to do so on November 2, 2020 - we are currently reviewing naming options and plan to announce in June."

This is part of the department's plan to rename parks for Black Americans with local, national or historical relevance. 

Community members say they want the park to be named after the Rev. Wendell Foster. Foster was the first Black city councilmember in the Bronx. 

They say Foster was a longtime champion of parks and invested millions of dollars into John Mullaly Park and the Highbridge community.