Flowers for Marsha
Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is one of the most radiant sunset picnic spots in all of NYC. Nestled along the East River with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, the park offers a rare kind of urban escape. Visitors enter through a stunning floral archway, designed in homage to Marsha’s signature flower crowns and her enduring philosophy: “Pay it no mind.” It’s a gateway not just to a park, but to a space of joy, resistance, and remembrance.
Formerly known as East River State Park, this stretch of waterfront was renamed in 2020 to honor Marsha P. Johnson, the Black transgender activist and Stonewall veteran who helped ignite the LGBTQ+ liberation movement. The renaming marked the first time a New York State park was dedicated to an LGBTQ person, and especially to a trans woman of color.
The park’s layered history and Marsha’s legacy made it the perfect venue to honor her beautiful, revolutionary presence.
Look through the Community Gallery to see how friends, family, and fellow makers interpreted this fun temple with their own creative lens!
