Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a
land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land
here.
The land for the park was acquired by the city in 1954 for a total just above $10,000. The park used to be named Winchell Park.
On December 6, 2021, Ann Arbor city council
voted to rename the park in honor of Dr. Harold J. Lockett. Dr. Lockett was the first Black president of the Ann Arbor Board of Education. To learn more about the renaming decision, read Ann Arbor OKs renaming park after first Black school board president.
Dr. Harold J. Lockett was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1924. A resident of Ann Arbor since 1953, Dr. Lockett passed away in Ann Arbor in
1994 at the age of 70. Dr. Lockett was a child psychiatrist, assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical Center and community leader. He earned his medical degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee followed by a residency at University of Michigan. Dr. Lockett served on the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education from 1965- 1971. In 1968, he was
elected vice president of the board. In 1969, he became the board’s first Black President under the slogan, “Schools are for all the children.” Dr. Lockett believed a successful education system “… meets the needs of all people in a changing society with changing needs.” He also served as the senior child psychiatrist for the State of Michigan Department of Mental Health.
The city held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the official renaming of the park on June 25th, 2022. In attendance was Mayor Christopher Taylor along with several members of City Council and the Park Advisory Commission (PAC). To learn more about the
2022 ceremony, read the
Naming Ceremony recap by Martha Hill.
To learn more about Dr. Lockett, read
A Deep Dive into the Past--Dr. Harold J. Lockett Park by Martha Hill.
