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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6852 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6852

 To designate Holcombe Rucker Park, in Harlem, New York, as a National 
              Commemorative Site, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2023

Mr. Espaillat introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To designate Holcombe Rucker Park, in Harlem, New York, as a National 
              Commemorative Site, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Holcombe Rucker Park Landmark Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Holcombe Rucker Park is located between West 155th 
        Street, 8th Avenue, and Harlem River Drive in Manhattan, New 
        York.
            (2) The park has been a source of inspiration, 
        entertainment, and education for many people who have played or 
        witnessed basketball games at the park, also serving as a 
        showcase of talent, creativity, and diversity that reflects the 
        spirit of Harlem.
            (3) In 1974, this playground was renamed Holcombe Rucker 
        Park after NYC Parks' beloved Playground Director, Holcombe 
        Rucker, at the request of Rucker's proteges.
            (4) Holcombe Rucker (1926-1965) is remembered for the 
        basketball tournaments he founded at this court and the 
        generations of players he mentored.
            (5) The basketball tournaments at the park's Greg Marius 
        Court have been the subject of three films: Above the Rim, On 
        Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park, and The 
        Real: Rucker Pro Legends and Fathers of the Sport.
            (6) Born and raised in Manhattan and schooled at Benjamin 
        Franklin High School, Rucker worked as a Playground Director 
        for NYC Parks at various Harlem parks from 1948 to 1964.
            (7) A pioneer of social justice and racial equality in 
        sports, Rucker created his own basketball tournament to serve 
        as a platform to promote integration and empower the black 
        community.
            (8) The park is considered the birthplace of streetball, a 
        style of basketball that emphasizes creativity, flair, and 
        individual skills over formal rules and team play.
            (9) Many NBA legends and stars have played at Holcombe 
        Rucker Park, either before or after their professional careers, 
        such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, 
        Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
            (10) The park has been featured in many documentaries, 
        movies, books, and video games that celebrate the history and 
        culture of streetball.
            (11) Holcombe Rucker Park is home to the Entertainer's 
        Basketball Classic (EBC), founded in 1982 by Greg Marius, a 
        rapper who wanted to showcase the talent and entertainment 
        value of streetball, and has since become one of the most 
        prestigious and popular streetball tournaments in the world.
            (12) The park has served as a platform for many basketball 
        players who could not obtain NBA opportunities due to racial 
        discrimination or other barriers, including Earl ``The Goat'' 
        Manigault, Joe ``The Destroyer'' Hammond, Pee Wee Kirkland, and 
        Herman ``Helicopter'' Knowings.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE.

    (a) Designation.--Holcombe Rucker Park, in Harlem, New York, is 
designated as the ``Holcombe Rucker Park National Commemorative Site'' 
(referred to in this section as the ``Commemorative Site'').
    (b) Effect of Designation.--The Commemorative Site shall not be 
considered a unit of the National Park System.
    (c) No Effect on Actions of Property Owners.--The designation of 
the Commemorative Site under this section shall not prohibit any 
actions that may otherwise be taken by a property owner (including any 
owner of the Commemorative Site) with respect to the property of the 
owner.
    (d) No Effect on Administration.--Nothing in this section affects 
the administration of the Commemorative Site by New York City or the 
State of New York.
                                 <all>
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