3500 Daffodils Abound at the Harriet Tubman Memorial
The A. Philip Randolph Square Neighborhood Alliance, the parent organization of the Friends of the Harriet Tubman Memorial appreciates the generosity of New Yorkers for Parks for donating daffodil bulbs planted at the Harriet Tubman Memorial last fall. The gift of thirty-five hundred bulbs was made possible through the advocacy group's annual Daffodil Project that gives away a half-million daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers as part of a living memorial to the victims of 9/11. Back in mid-November we could not have imagined the heightened significance and deep emotional import of what we were doing.
Back then, we could not have imagined that a mortal public health threat would create such uncertainty in our lives that we would be compelled to reaffirm our appreciation of nature through the bold appearance of those daring, self-righteous yellow flowers, with their long trumpet-shaped corona ablaze with deep symbolism that connects one tragedy, 9/11, to another tragedy, COVID-19.
We want to offer our heartfelt gratitude to the devoted frontline staff and administrative, management, and executive staff at NYC Parks, who continue to maintain and beautify our parks, green spaces, and playgrounds at a time when these public spaces are seen now more than ever as refuges for leisure, relaxation, aesthetic engagement, and fun. When visiting these places we want to urge visitors to practice physical distancing, avoid and discourage crowding, and cover their mouths and noses to prevent the spread of coronavirus. #ThankAParkWorker #pandemic
Lastly, the Alliance encourages all its neighbors and partners to pass by the Harriet Tubman Memorial, if for a minute, to bask in the glory of those blossoms and reflect on your individual vision of our post COVID-19 community, a vision that will be our collective responsibility to rebirth, again, anew.
