A FIRST OF ITS KIND PARK THAT HONORS COMMUNITY, CELEBRATES DIVERSITY, WHILE ADVANCING EQUALITY AND BELONGING.

Atlanta's Sara J. González Memorial Park, the first park named for a Latino/a/x/e individual in the State of Georgia, honors inclusiveness and cultural diversity while providing all-abilities accessible child and family oriented greenspace to the growing Atlanta Westside community it serves.

The Sara J. González Memorial Park debuted on October 2018 with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms keynoting. The park’s six core design features deliver on the values of diversity, community, dignity, and family and through the lens of experiential symmetry: (1) ADA-compliant wheelchair access; (2) a playground for children of all abilities; (3) a children's soccer field; (4) the first Learning Nook — an all-access, seated and covered education area — in an Atlanta park; (5) a “Unity Plaza” that honors Atlanta's diverse population and is the host location of twice-monthly food distributions serving 125+ families thanks to a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs/Welcoming Atlanta; (6) the Officer Edgar Flores Memorial Learning Garden, which debuted October, 2019, and is the inspiration for the children’s literacy and nutrition program Sprouting Readers.

The Officer Edgar Flores Memorial Learning Garden honors the first Latino/e police office shot and killed in the line of duty, DeKalb County Police Officer Edgar Flores who died December 2018 at the age of 24. The garden is the city’s only Latin ethnobotanical learning garden and was created with support from the University of Georgia. Inspired by this unique garden, we debuted in 2022 the Sprouting Readers Program in partnership with Emory University’s Urban Health Initiative, Agape Youth and Family Center, and Bolton Academy. This year-long, twice-monthly program provides literacy and garden-oriented STEM education to 2nd/3rd graders in the community as a way to drive positive social and health outcomes.

On October 11th, during Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, several new key equity and enrichment features were unveiled at the park: a new all-abilities swing set and water fountain thanks to Truist Foundations, a bilingual lending library “Biblioteca Carmen Rita” with the Little Free Library Read in Color program and thanks to the Carmen Rita Wong Family Foundation, and a stunning large scale permanent art installation/sidewalk mural thanks to the Savannah College of Art and Design Paint our Parks program and graduate José Ray and Sara’s granddaughter Paulina de La Valette.

The Sara J. González Memorial Park upholds Atlanta’s diverse communities while honoring Latino/a/x/e contributions to the city and commemorating the legacy of Ms. González — a devoted mother and Cuban immigrant whose faith in the American Dream propelled her from small business owner to revered immigrant and minority-rights leader who served all in her community with joy and compassion.

Located at 2411 Coronet Way at Bolton Road on Atlanta's Westside, in the same neighborhood where Ms. González lived for 30 years until her passing in 2008, this trailblazing park pays tribute to Ms. González's love of children, support of families, and her lifelong advocacy for inclusiveness and tolerance.

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VISIT THE MENU BAR ON THE TOP RIGHT TO SEE PAST EVENTS, READ PRESS, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLAYSCAPE, THE SCAD ART PROJECT, THE GARDEN, SPROUTING READERS, AND MEET OUR SUPPORTERS.