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    1.  Gowanus Houses in Film — Spike Lee’s Clockers

      One of the most notable cultural connections to Gowanus Houses is its role in cinema. This housing project was the setting for Spike Lee’s 1995 film, Clockers, in which it was renamed the “Nelson Mandela Houses” for the movie.1 The film, based on Richard Price’s novel, used the Gowanus Houses as its primary filming location, bringing national attention to the development and the realities of life in Brooklyn public housing.

      ✊ Nicholas Heyward Sr. — Anti-Police Brutality Activist & Community Leader

      The most nationally recognized figure from Gowanus Houses is Nicholas Heyward Sr., who became one of Brooklyn’s most tireless activists after a devastating personal tragedy.

      His 13-year-old son, Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr., was playing cops-and-robbers with a toy gun in the Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn when he was shot and killed by Brian George, a New York Police Department housing authority officer. Nicholas Heyward Sr. became an activist against police brutality when his 13-year-old son, Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr., was shot and killed by a New York police officer in the Gowanus Houses project in 1994. Heyward Sr. fought for justice for his son for the rest of his life. He died on Dec. 31, 2018 at the age of 61.3

      His Activism & Legacy:

      • Nicholas Sr. fought for and demanded justice for his stolen son for the remaining 24 years of his life.4
      • He helped organize many Know Your Rights training sessions to keep Black children and young people safe, so much so that some called this training a “Heyward classic.”4
      • He organized for and got a mural honoring his son in Gowanus. He started summer tournaments in the Gowanus Houses park that he mobilized to get named after his son—turning a grave site into a safe space.4
      • Today, because of this tragedy, the City has a law that requires toy guns sold in the five boroughs to be brightly colored, and to have a plug in the barrel so that police officers can more easily distinguish between a toy gun and the real thing.5

      🕊️ Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. — Youth Icon & Symbol of Police Accountability

      While Nicholas Jr. was only 13 years old when he died, his name has become one of the most recognized in the national conversation about police violence against children.

      Nicholas Naquan Heyward, Jr. was born in Brooklyn on August 27, 1981. Nicholas attended local public schools and was an honor student.5

      Nicholas Jr. and his friends were playing a game of cops and robbers in the stairwell of the Gowanus Houses, using plastic toy guns with bright orange-colored handles and tips. When Officer Brian George came upon Nicholas on the 14th floor stairwell, Nicholas dropped his toy gun, saying “We’re only playing, we’re only playing,” but Officer George shot Nicholas in the stomach.6

      In 2001, the park was renamed for Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. (1981-1994), a local resident who was fatally shot by a New York City Housing Authority police officer in the nearby housing complex where he lived with his mother, father, and younger brother.7

      In 1998, the Groundswell Community Mural Project, headed by Amy Sananman, and the youth of the community, designed and created a mural project in memory of Nicholas Jr. This mural still stands on Baltic Street, where a candlelight vigil is held every year on the anniversary of Nicholas’s death.6

      Each year on his birthday, August 26, the Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. Foundation holds a community gathering at the park with basketball games, activities for kids, and a toy exchange, where toy guns can be swapped for books or other playthings. The foundation was created to help save lives by instilling creative thought in the minds of youths and giving positive support to children from all communities.7

      ✊ Eddie Herbert — Beloved Community Center Director

      Another notable figure remembered fondly by Gowanus Houses residents is Eddie Herbert, who ran the community center and shaped the lives of countless young people.

      Darrin Holland recalled: “When I grew up, we had a place to go to after school. And had it not been for that, I don’t know what would have happened to me. The community center, back in the day, was run by this gentleman Eddie Herbert. Eddie Herbert fought to keep it open. He wrote and reached out for grants to keep it open. He had people from different colleges come speak to us, to show us that there’s another way.”8

      The ongoing disinvestment of the Gowanus Houses Community Center is a matter of life and death. Because the center has been closed for nearly 20 years, multiple generations of residents have been deprived of an essential community resource. Countless hours of community-building, resident-led activities have been forced to find alternative space, or have been foregone altogether—a mammoth loss to the Gowanus Houses community.9

      🎨 Tracey Pinkard — Community Arts Advocate

      Chris O’Falt, a Carroll Gardens filmmaker, and Tracey Pinkard, a Gowanus Houses resident, launched the collective together. The two met at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies, where O’Falt was teaching filmmaking and Pinkard works10 as the parent coordinator.

      Pinkard sees the project as an opportunity to give residents in surrounding neighborhoods a window into life in the public housing complex — and a more positive view than they’ll see in most press coverage, Pinkard said. She gets annoyed when she reads accounts that make it sound like the Gowanus Houses is “under siege” by gangs and drugs, and wishes there were stories about events like an intergenerational game day where old-timers taught kids how to play stickball.10

      📝 Summary — Gowanus Houses’ Legacy

      After thorough research, Gowanus Houses does not have a widely documented roster of mainstream entertainment celebrities or athletes who specifically grew up there. Unlike some larger NYCHA developments (Marcy Houses for Jay-Z, Queensbridge for Nas, or Forest Houses for Fat Joe), Gowanus Houses’ legacy is defined more by:

      1. The tragedy and activism surrounding Nicholas Heyward Jr. & Sr. — The 1994 shooting of 13-year-old Nicholas Jr. by a housing police officer, and his father’s subsequent 24-year fight for justice, made Gowanus Houses nationally known in conversations about police violence. The case directly led to NYC’s toy gun legislation.
      2. Its role in film history — This housing project was the setting for Spike Lee’s 1995 film, Clockers, in which it was renamed the “Nelson Mandela Houses” for the movie.1
      3. A strong tradition of community resilience — From Eddie Herbert’s community center work to resident-led arts collectives and tenant advocacy, the people of Gowanus Houses have maintained a tight-knit community despite decades of disinvestment.

      As one former resident wrote: “Also alot of great talents come from Gowanus!”11 — a sentiment echoed by many who grew up there, even if those talents haven’t always been documented in public records.

      🎤 Whodini — Pioneering Hip-Hop Group (Members: Jalil Hutchins, Ecstasy, Grandmaster Dee)

      The most historically significant musical act connected to Gowanus Houses is the legendary hip-hop group Whodini.

      The first major US hip-hop tour featured pioneering groups Whodini, whose members hailed from Brooklyn’s Gowanus section.3

      Jalil Hutchins — Vocalist & Chief Lyricist of Whodini (Gowanus Houses)

      Jalil Hutchins, born November 29, 1964, in Brooklyn, grew up in the Gowanus Housing projects and began rapping as a teenager in local parks and street gatherings, drawing from the neighborhood’s tough realities to develop his narrative style.4

      John “Ecstasy” Fletcher — Co-Vocalist of Whodini (Wyckoff Gardens — neighboring NYCHA development)

      John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, born June 7, 1964, in Brooklyn and raised in the Wyckoff Gardens projects, developed an early affinity for music through exposure to radio and family gatherings, where he practiced blending hip-hop flows with R&B influences.4 Both Hutchins and Fletcher led rival MC crews in their immediate vicinity, just two blocks apart, immersing themselves in the project’s oral traditions and competitive battles that defined early Brooklyn rap.4

      The duo formally united in 1982 after connecting through a mutual acquaintance to create a promotional rap for DJ Mr. Magic’s “Rap Attack” radio show on WBLS.4

      Whodini’s Career Highlights:

      • Whodini was among the first hip hop groups to cultivate a high-profile national following for hip hop music and made significant inroads on urban radio.5
      • In 1982, Whodini made hip hop history with its debut single “Magic’s Wand”, an ode to hip hop radio pioneer Mr. Magic, which became the first hip hop song for which a music video was shot.5
      • Whodini’s 1984 release Escape, which included “Five Minutes of Funk” and “The Freaks Come Out at Night,” was certified platinum, selling over one million albums upon release.6
      • The group was involved in the first Fresh Fest tour, which was the first hip hop tour to play large coliseums nationwide.7
      • They were the first hip hop act and break dance troop to tour in the UK and Europe.5
      • Whodini, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys were part of Run DMC’s tour, “Raising Hell.”8
      • In October 2007, Whodini was an honoree at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.5
      • In 2012 they were presented with “The Icon Award” by the Underground Music Awards and inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.8
      • They had six studio albums and 14 singles to hit the Billboard charts.8
      • On December 23, 2020, Fletcher died at the age of 56.5

      ✊ Nicholas Heyward Sr. — Anti-Police Brutality Activist & Community Leader

      The most nationally recognized activist figure from Gowanus Houses is Nicholas Heyward Sr.

      Nicholas Heyward Sr. became an activist against police brutality when his 13-year-old son, Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr., was shot and killed by a New York police officer in the Gowanus Houses project in 1994.9 Heyward Sr. fought for justice for his son for the rest of his life. He died on Dec. 31, 2018 at the age of 61.9

      His Activism & Legacy:

      • Nicholas Sr. fought for and demanded justice for his stolen son for the remaining 24 years of his life.10
      • He helped organize many Know Your Rights training sessions to keep Black children and young people safe, so much so that some called this training a “Heyward classic.”10
      • He organized for and got a mural honoring his son in Gowanus. He started summer tournaments in the Gowanus Houses park that he mobilized to get named after his son—turning a grave site into a safe space.10
      • After a cop killed his son, Nicholas Heyward Sr. became a mentor to the Black Lives Matter movement.11

      🕊️ Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. — Youth Icon & Symbol of Police Accountability

      Nicholas Naquan Heyward, Jr. was born in Brooklyn on August 27, 1981. Nicholas attended local public schools and was an honor student.12

      Nicholas Jr. and his friends were playing a game of cops and robbers in the stairwell of the Gowanus Houses, using plastic toy guns with bright orange-colored handles and tips. When Officer Brian George came upon Nicholas on the 14th floor stairwell, Nicholas dropped his toy gun, saying “We’re only playing, we’re only playing,” but Officer George shot Nicholas in the stomach.13

      His death, however, was not in vain. Today, because of this tragedy, the City has a law that requires toy guns sold in the five boroughs to be brightly colored, and to have a plug in the barrel so that police officers can more easily distinguish between a toy gun and the real thing.12

      In 2001, the Gowanus Park in downtown Brooklyn was renamed “Nicholas Naquan Heyward, Jr. Park” and serves as a permanent and inspiring memorial for the entire community.13

      Each year on his birthday, August 26, the Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. Foundation holds a community gathering at the park with basketball games, activities for kids, and a toy exchange, where toy guns can be swapped for books or other playthings.14

      🎬 Gowanus Houses in Film — Spike Lee’s Clockers (1995)

      This housing project was the setting for Spike Lee’s 1995 film, Clockers, in which it was renamed the “Nelson Mandela Houses” for the movie.1

      📝 Summary — Gowanus Houses’ Legacy

      Gowanus Houses has a truly significant place in hip-hop history through its connection to Whodini, one of the most important groups in the genre’s early development. Jalil Hutchins grew up in the Gowanus Housing projects4, while his partner Ecstasy grew up just two blocks away in Wyckoff Gardens. Together they formed Whodini, who were among the first rap groups to cultivate a high-profile national following for hip-hop music, and made significant inroads on Urban radio.15 They paved the way for every hip-hop arena tour that followed.

      The development is also deeply associated with the Heyward family’s fight for justice — Nicholas Heyward Sr.’s 24-year campaign after his son’s tragic death in 1994 became a precursor to the national conversation about police violence that would explode decades later with Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

      As one former resident noted: “Also alot of great talents come from Gowanus!