THE BRONX — The rich, underexposed history of art and music in the South Bronx may be brought to light in the next few years — thanks to a donation from a nonprofit group.
The New York Community Trust is donating $80,000 to charity Casita Maria to improve the South Bronx culture trail by providing tours and putting up plaques across the neighborhood to educate residents.
The trail already consists of 15 historical sites, ranging from The Birthplace of Hip-Hop — 1520 Sedgwick Ave. — to Ecstasy Garage, a prominent club.
But the grant will fund organized walking and trolley tours and will also allow for the placement of plaques, organizers said.
Casita Maria will hold a design competition for the markers and then will ultimately display them across the area. It also plans to produce a trail map website to promote each plaque’s unveiling.
The foundation also donated $120,000 to Hostos Community College for a four-part series on resiliency, as well as a three-part series on data gathering and evaluation, organizers said.
Hostos will also work with several non-profits to provide programs on financial health and social media, among other topics.
