milk

Mayor Bob Foster, Councilmember Robert Garcia, Stuart Milk of the Harvey Milk Foundation, and the Harvey Milk Promenade Park Committee will join dozens of LGBT community members at the groundbreaking for the new Harvey Milk Promenade Park on Tuesday, May 22 at 10:00am, the anniversary of Harvey Milk’s Birthday. The park is located at 3rd Street and The Promenade.

The new park is the first park in America to be named after civil rights leader Harvey Milk as well as the first park in the City of Long Beach to be named after a person who is directly part of the LGBT community. In addition, the park will include Equality Plaza, an area dedicated to honoring Long Beach area LGBT leaders.

The historic park will include areas to sit, a memorial to Milk, including a replica of his famous soapbox, and dedicated space to learn about Harvey and his legacy to civil rights. The groundbreaking date coincides with what would have been Milk’s 82nd birthday and, in honor of that occasion, birthday cake will also be served. 

The park will include Equality Plaza, and nine members of the local LGBT community will be inducted and honored at the ground breaking. The honorees are:

  • Bob Crow – Co-Founder, Current Co-President, LB PRIDE
  • Ray Lowen – Founding member of The Center, activist and artist
  • Patty Moore – Former Chair and Asst. Director, The Center; longtime activist
  • Michael Noll – First openly gay Signal Hill Councilmember; 20 years on Council; The Center Board
  • Frank Rubio – Former President, Current Vice-President, LB PRIDE
  • Ellen Ward – Signal Hill Councilmember 11 years; Former Exec Director AIDS WALK

Posthumous:

  • Pastor Michael Cole – Founder, Christ’s Chapel Long Beach; Founder, AIDS Food Store
  • Ellen “Mary” Martinez – 25 year member of LB PRIDE; Board Member, The Center
  • Jean Harris – Former Executive Director, CA Alliance for Pride and Equality; political leader

For more information about the event and the park, contact the office of Councilmember Garcia at [email protected] or by calling (562) 570-6919.

Click here to view our policies covering Robert Garcia and the Long Beach city council.