The Hyattsville City Council passed a resolution in June 2021 to rename the now former William Pinkney Magruder park as David C. Driskell Community Park. The initiative to rename the park was set in motion after a discovery that the original 1927 park deed contained racist and restrictive language. The deed was updated to strike that language and a new park name was chosen using over 800 suggestions from the Hyattsville community.
The park's new name honors former Hyattsville resident David C. Driskell, a preeminent artist, historian, curator, and scholar of African American art. He was a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and his artworks are displayed in museums across the country and have been hung at the White House. The dedication celebration on October 1 aims to educate community members about the significance of his life and legacy in Hyattsville and beyond.
On Saturday, October 1, the David C. Driskell Community Park Dedication Ceremony will take place from 2 - 7 PM at 3911 Hamilton St, Hyattsville, MD.