The Walt Whitman Initiative, with the support of New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo and several local organizations including the Brooklyn Public Library, officially unveiled the new “Walt Whitman Way” street sign at the corner of Ryerson Street and Dekalb Avenue on November 2, 2019. WWI president Karen Karbiener and founding member Brad Vogel stood next to Ms. Cumbo as “Walt Whitman Way” was dedicated and revealed. The only extant Brooklyn residence of the American poet stands at 99 Ryerson Street, which is also the home in which Whitman completed the first edition of Leaves of Grass.

WWI has been seeking ways to honor and preserve this cultural landmark, which has been nicknamed the “cradle of American poetry” and “Brooklyn’s Stonewall.” WWI member Jesse Merandy kicked off the day’s festivities with a “Walt Whitman Ramble” around Brooklyn’s Whitman sites. The celebration included musical performances by contralto Nicole Mitchell of the American Opera Project, readings curated by Jason Koo of Brooklyn Poets, a Whitman book giveaway courtesy of the collector Susan Tane, and a huge birthday cake for Whitman’s 200th birthday donated by NYU. Vogel says, “We’re excited for the co-naming. It helps to remind people that Walt Whitman lived and emerged as America’s poet right here in the streets of Brooklyn. We still have a chance to protect his last remaining New York City home a few blocks from the co-naming site by designating it a city landmark for the benefit of future generations.” Cumbo put Whitman’s work in a global context: “Brooklyn has always brought big ideas to the world, and we’re ready to commemorate another Brooklynite whose artistic work and influence has spread globally. Walt Whitman was a cultural icon, visionary, and a true artist in every sense of the word. I am proud to see his legacy live on in my district.” For more information, please see Michelle Young’s coverage of the event at Untapped Cities.