Samuel A. Browne, Sr. Way (Staten Island)
Present name:None
Location:Southeast corner of Fairview Avenue and Knox Place
Honoree: Samuel Browne (1873-1970) was born in Washington, D.C. and enlisted in the Army in 1898 during the Spanish American War. After the war, he eventually purchased a home for himsef and his family in Castleton Corners, Staten Island. During this time, in 1924, Castleton Corners was an all-white neighborhood. When neighbors heard that an African-American family had moved into the area, they lobbied together to try and purchase the house to get the Browne family out of the neighborhood. When that failed, marches and demonstrations were organized outside their home. Rocks were thrown at the house, their lawn and hedges were destroyed, crosses were burnt on the lawn, and letters sent to the house signed by the KKK. His children were verbally and physically abused while they attended PS 29. These acts of violence and abused occurred for over a year until a group of African-Americans banded together to form the Staten Island Chapter NAACP to help provide support and assistance for the Browne family. (Rose and Matteo)
LL:2018/139