Who Is It Named After? Ruby Dee Park And Ossie Davis Theatre

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With a few notable exceptions, most of the landmarks in the Hudson Valley got their famous names long before many of us were even born, but two of New Rochelle's leading citizens earned their place on the maps of the Hudson Valley in recent years.

Concertgoers taking in a free concert at Ruby Dee Park at Library Green will occasionally be moved inside to the Ossie Davis Theater at the library. The two popular performance venues in New Rochelle have more in common than just proximity.

Oct. 10 will be six years to the day that Ruby Dee Park at Library Green was named after the legendary New Rochelle actor and activist in a dedication ceremony. The recognition occurred less than a year after her death in June, 2014 at the age of 91.

"We are pleased and honored that the life and contributions of our beloved mother-grandmother-sister-aunt Ruby will be inscribed in the historical memory of New Rochelle—among the neighbors and friends she loved for more than 51 years," Dee's family said in a statement at the time. "How fitting that the Ruby Dee Park is adjacent to the Ossie Davis Theater! Together forever."

Her longtime husband and frequent performing partner Raiford Chatman "Ossie"Davis died in 2005. The theater at the library was renamed in his honor shortly after.

As a culmination of an impressive career in the arts and leadership as activists, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were each inducted to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. Both were awarded the National Medal of Arts. Each were also recipients of Kennedy Center Honors.

The couple's legacy will always be tied, not just in their shared body of work, but also in the way future generations will learn to navigate the world, both figuratively and with a map.