N.Y. Bridge Dedicated to Robert F. Kennedy

The “new” bridge. (Source: Andrew Wadium)

The children and friends of Robert F. Kennedy assembled today at Astoria Park in Queens to commemorate the renaming of the Triborough Bridge to Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in honor of the celebrated former senator.

Former President Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and Gov. David Paterson paid tribute to the spirited senator who was slain while campaigning during the presidential primaries in 1968. The renaming of the bridge marks the 40th anniversary of Kennedy’s presidential campaign.

“Robert F. Kennedy was a champion of social justice and human rights and his spirit is kept alive by his family’s continued commitment to those causes,” said Paterson, who in June signed the bill into law making possible the renaming of the bridge.

Many who spoke summoned Kennedy’s compassionate deeds, which they say defined a life dedicated to advancing human rights. While a senator he initiated a number of projects in the state, including assistance to underprivileged children and students with disabilities and the establishment of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. The organization was set up to improve living conditions and employment opportunities in depressed areas of Brooklyn. Now in its 32nd year, the program remains a model for communities all across the nation.

Kennedy was assassinated at the age of 42 while campaigning for the presidency.

“Robert F. Kennedy thought on a grand scale and achieved what many thought was impossible. He stood at the summit and he saw the true soul of America. And like the great bridge that stretches above us, he tied us together; people of every color, every class, and every creed,” said Bloomberg to a crowd of more than 100 who braved the 35 degree weather to watch the unveiling of a new sign announcing the RFK Bridge.

Other dignitaries in attendance included former mayors David Dinkins and Ed Koch and  Comptroller William Thompson, who is running for mayor of New York City. Thompson recounted Kennedy’s accomplishments during his short tenure as a senator.

“I think if you look at the things he did while he was here as U.S. senator, everything from helping to create and founding Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp., just pushing for housing in New York City and bringing people together, that’s what this is about today; celebrating his legacy, making sure that it will always be part of New York in a number of different ways,” said Thompson.

Kennedy’s wife, Ethel, 80,  watched proudly as several generations of Kennedys sat behind her to witness the first ever dedication of a government-funded construction project to her husband. Kennedy’s family sought a legislative bill to have the bridge renamed to honor the communities in New York that he once served.

“As a kid, I remember going over this bridge with Daddy,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial center for human rights in Washington D.C. “This bridge is named for a man who spoke to our

better angels. Those whose lives he touched began to believe in themselves. He urged us to dream things that never were and say why not.  And so for me, and many of my brothers and sisters, the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge not only spans Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, but it is the bridge through 1968 to 2008 and from 2008 to generations to come.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the bridge is symbolic of how his father attempted to bridge the gaps between income, race and justice in 1968. Construction on the bridge finished in 1936. It is actually three bridges, a viaduct, and 14 miles of approach roads connecting Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Others spoke of how Kennedy, who would have been 83-years-old Thursday, paved a way for President-elect Barack Obama.

“I think the two men share the same values. They share the sense of the U.S. as a community and that the U.S., as a mission in history, is supposed to be an exemplary nation,” said Robert Kennedy Jr., as he climbed into the lead car in a motorcade of 30 vintage cars, the first to pass over the RFK Bridge after the renaming.

Earl G. Graves Sr., chairman and publisher of Black Enterprise, recalled how when he was a young community organizer in Bedford Stuyvesant  Kennedy inspired him to broaden his impact in the same way that Obama, has inspired younger generations during the 2008 general election.

“As a person that worked for Robert Kennedy, it is very poignant. It is exciting seeing all of the family gathering again as we recognize the warm spirit of Robert Kennedy,” he said. Graves worked as an administrative assistant to the late senator from 1965 to 1968. “This comes at a time when the country is much in need of moving in the right direction, and I think we are because of the recent election.”

Renita Burns contributed to this article.