A day before the 58th anniversary of Robert Kennedy's speech mourning the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Indianapolis unveiled a $6.8 million reimagining of the park that marks the site where Kennedy spoke.
The project includes a new plaza, walkways, landscaping, and expansion of the existing Landmark for Peace memorial at the park on the city's near-north side. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indy Parks leaders joined community partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Projects like this one remind us that our beloved Indy parks are not just places to connect with nature… they also are places to connect with our own history," Hogsett said.
On April 4, 1968, Kennedy made an impromptu speech to a crowd announcing the assassination of King. Kennedy was campaigning for president at the time.
Indy Parks Director Brittany Crone credited Kennedy’s speech with calming tensions in Indianapolis following King’s assassination. Riots broke out in other cities.
"What has always drawn me to this park is that it not only connects two leaders who defined a generation, but also the impact Robert Kennedy's words had on our city that night,” Crone said. Later adding: “Kennedy's words connected with people and helped to maintain a feeling of hope."
Kennedy was assassinated two months later, in June 1968, further connecting the two men's legacies.
The new plaza includes information about King, Kennedy, the civil rights movement and other materials drawn from the nearby Kennedy King Park Center's indoor display.
The Landmark for Peace memorial was dedicated in 1995 by local, state and national leaders, including former President Bill Clinton and members of the Kennedy and King families.
The park's growth continued with the "Making the Dream a Reality" initiative started in 2005 by State Rep. Bill Crawford, fostering community engagement and youth programs.
The project is part of a public-private investment of over $140 million to improve 42 parks across the city.
Contact WFYI digital producer and reporter Zach Bundy at zbundy@wfyi.org.
