On Saturday May 9 at 2 pm there was a street co-naming on the corner of Lorraine and Columbia to celebrate Red Hook’s Jay McKnight.
McKnight was a leader in the Red Hook community and a talented musician who orchestrated more than 15 concerts in Coffey Park. He performed with The Dubs, The Shells, and Little Nate & The Chrylers, and formed the groups “a.k.a. Jay” and “Equal.”
McKnight played a very big role in getting a bank to open in Red Hook for the first time, as he personally collected nearly 3,000 petition signatures. He also founded the first chapter of the Lions International in Red Hook. Along with other members of the Lions, he provided gifts for the community’s children every Christmas for decades.
McKnight also spent many years as co-chair of the Red Hook Civic Association, where he continued to work to improve the community. He was involved in Red Hook Groups Against Garbage Sites (GAGS) and successfully helped prevent then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani from having all of New York City’s garbage sent through Red Hook.
Additionally, McKnight helped prevent the Federal Environmental Protection Agency from processing toxic waste from the Gowanus Canal in Red Hook next to the ballfields.
He successfully fought to get more funding for Coffey Park and Louis Valentino Park and Pier, and he helped improve bus service in Red Hook.
John McGettrick, who was also co-chair of the Red Hook Civic Association, said: “I believe that Jay’s best contribution was to build strong bridges to people regardless of race or residence.”
His wife Andrea, a community leader alongside of Jay, helped coordinate this honor to her late husband and presided over the event along with Councilmember Avilés.
While rain put a little dampness to the event, Aviles commented that in Boricuan culture (of which she is) rain is cleansing and helps the soul on it’s journey. Many old timers spoke at the event, including McGettrick and Bazemore. Of course Andrea was there in all her beauty.
The street sign is the corner of Columbia and Lorraine Streets.
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2 Comments
Nice tribute. Well deserved.
I feel proud to have called James “Jay” McKnight, “UNK”. I was just a little girl and grew up in the building where he lived, that was over 40 years ago. He and “ Auntie M” as I so affectionately call them have been chosen family , let them tell it, they “adopted “ me. He was one incredible man, and I am so blessed to have been able to spend times with him , chat , laugh, SERVE as (Lions) and witness this point in history. Job well done , UNK. P.S – Thank you Brian , John, Aviles, and everyone involved, for shining the light on this incredible man.