 More than 1,000 reportedly attended the celebration in the park.City Council voted to officially rename the park to Marcus Garvey Memorial Park in 1973, during the same vote in which "Welfare Island" was renamed Roosevelt Island.The portion of Fifth Avenue in Harlem was also proposed to be renamed Marcus Garvey Boulevard by advocates and the two surrounding Community Boards in 1988, but this effort ultimately failed amid complaints from residents who feared that the street would lose its reputation and lead to confusion.