White Playground

E. 105 St. To E. 106 St. bet. Lexington Ave. and 3 Ave.

Manhattan

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Bounded by Lexington Avenue, East 105th Street, and East 106th Street, this park honors renowned civil rights activist and author Walter White (1893-1955). White was born in Atlanta, Georgia, a few decades after the Civil War. Considering his fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, it must have been tempting for White, an African American, to pass himself off as being white. Instead, White chose to live his life proudly as an African American, championing the cause of civil rights and exploiting his appearance to investigate lynchings and race riots.