The People’s Garden
In 1999, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani planned to auction off 112 community gardens, to which community gardeners of the city fought to save their gardens from Giuliani’s actions. When a lawsuit was filed, it was able to stop the auction, and the gardens were not only saved but improved and economically supported by restoration projects and initiatives. In 2004, the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (BQLT) began to manage community gardens in Brooklyn and Queens, now a nonprofit organization with hundreds of volunteers. The gardens owned by BQLT are permanently open spaces, and they cannot be bought, developed, or sold. The People’s Garden in Bushwick, Brooklyn, is one of the 35 community gardens owned by the BQLT.
Known for its dance floor and performance deck that regularly holds salsa parties and other community events, The People’s Garden encourages community bonding and transforms the agency and relationship between and amongst the Bushwick community. It was established by Hernan Pagan, lovingly nicknamed the “heart” of the garden, who actively rebukes the gentrification of Bushwick and the misogyny and homophobia that exists within communities of New York City. When faced with those who disapprove of Pagan’s openness regarding his garden, such as queer members of the community or women from shelters, he simply says, “Then don’t come!” The People’s Garden was created by the people of Bushwick, as expansive as can be, for the people of Bushwick (which Pagan repeatedly emphasizes).
Gazebos, chicken coops, and salsa parties belong to the community garden that is The People’s Garden, which is fueled by the people and works to create harmony between Bushwick locals. In recent efforts to combat gentrification and discrimination, The People’s Garden is one example of many of how local New Yorkers can strive to create spaces built for and by themselves.
Sources
Fellman, Samantha. “Oral History Interview Conducted with Hernan Pagan on 2016 August 01.” Brooklyn Public Library, 2016, www.bklynlibrary.org/digitalcollections/item/59b38f28-4c3c-4ae0-b07a-e12f6991ead3.
https://bqlt.org/