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Hastings group unveils Phase 2 plan to place interpretive panels honoring Drs. Miriam and Kenneth Clark
Summary
Members of the Clark Commemoration Project presented Phase 2 plans for three interpretive panels and a small bluestone plaza, funded by a private donor, and said the Farragut site requires Westchester County permission because the parcel sits in county road setbacks.
Members of the Clark Commemoration Project presented Phase 2 of a local commemoration effort at the Hastings‑on‑Hudson Board of Education meeting on April 22, outlining three interpretive panels and a compact bluestone plaza to tell the story of Drs. Mamie (Mimi) and Kenneth Clark and their role in the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Natalie Barry, president of the Hastings Historical Society, said Phase 1—co‑naming Mount Hope Boulevard as “Doctors Mimi and Kenneth Clark Way” and a series of exhibits and school programs—was completed in October 2023. Eddie Crawford, a Clark committee member, summarized the Phase 1 events, including a visit by Minnie Jean Brown of the Little Rock Nine and a year‑long exhibit the historical society hosted.
Caitlin Chang, a member of the committee, described Phase 2 as three outdoor panels: a village‑owned, elementary‑student–oriented panel at Lefurgey and Mount Hope and two larger panels sited at Farragut and Mount Hope intended for older students and adults. Chang told the board the Farragut location is actually on county land and therefore requires permission from Westchester County; the committee said the county review needs to address a 10–15‑foot road setback that affects the planned panel sites.
Landscape architect Susan Janchill presented a reduced design for a bluestone plaza and low retaining wall to back two panels and said the scale was cut back to avoid disturbing a walkway sometimes used by maintenance vehicles or small “gator” utility carts. Janchill said the plaza is modest—about a dozen feet across in the proposed layout—and designs keep existing circulation intact.
The committee said Phase 2 is fully funded by the Lee Elliott family in honor of Bob Elliott and that the project team will share final panel text with the Clark family for review before installation. Committee members and several board members offered to provide letters of support if county approval becomes necessary.
The board did not take any formal action on the panels at the meeting; committee members said they hope to complete installation before the start of the school year in September.
