FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Panama 507 Roundtable Group
panama507roundtablegroup@gmail.com
718-644-7589
Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. | Media check-in: 9:00am
Franklin Avenue at Bergen Street, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York | Intersection of Franklin Avenue and Bergen Street
Historic street co-naming honors generations of Panamanians who helped shape Crown Heights
Panama 507 Roundtable Group Founder Gregorio Mayers, Esq., and its’ members will join Elected Officials, Panamanian dignitaries, community leaders, residents and cultural organizations for the official unveiling of “Little Panama Way” the ceremonial co-naming of portions of Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and will also mark the announcement of the Panamanian Cultural District in the State of New York.
Beginning in the 1950s, Franklin Avenue and the surrounding Crown Heights community became an important center of Panamanian life in New York City. Panamanians built homes, businesses, faith communities, civic institutions and cultural traditions that helped shape Brooklyn. “Little Panama Way” makes that history visible in the streets where it was built and creates a lasting platform for cultural preservation, tourism, entrepreneurship, the arts, education and future community investment. The celebration also follows passage by both houses of the New York State Legislature of A.8904-A/S.9429, which would authorize the New York State Council on the Arts to designate the Little Panama Cultural District.
Council Member Crystal Hudson
“Little Panama Way is a meaningful way to recognize the generations of Panamanian families who built businesses, raised children, and shaped what Crown Heights is today. I’m honored to have led this effort, alongside Council Member Sandy Nurse, the Panama 507 Roundtable Group, Brooklyn Community Boards 8 and 9, and the residents who made sure this history will never be forgotten.”
Council Member Sandy Nurse
“As the only Panamanian-born member of the New York City Council, this moment is personal to me,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “Little Panama Way celebrates the elders, families, entrepreneurs, artists and community leaders who carried our culture forward and made lasting contributions to Brooklyn and our city as a whole. I’m honored to have supported Council Member Crystal Hudson and the Panama 507 Roundtable Group in advancing this recognition, and I hope every person of Panamanian heritage who sees this sign understands that their history, identity and future belongs here.”
Council Member Farah Louis
“From the beginning, I have been proud to support the vision for the Little Panama Way and the community programming that has brought Panamanian history, culture and civic contributions to the forefront. Little Panama Way represents more than a street co-naming it honors the generations of Panamanians who helped shape Brooklyn while creating new opportunities for cultural education, economic development and community investment. I commend Panama 507 Roundtable Group and founder Gregorio Mayers, Esq. whose dedication made this historic recognition possible.”
Gregorio Mayers, Esq. Founder and CEO, Panama 507 Roundtable Group
“Little Panama Way brings home a vision rooted in gratitude to honor the Panamanians who established lives, businesses, institutions and traditions along Franklin Avenue beginning generations ago. This street sign tells our elders that their work is remembered, tells our young people that their heritage belongs in New York’s public story, and invites Panamanians everywhere to keep contributing their talents in business, the arts, education, public service and every part of civic life. We are deeply grateful to Council Members Crystal Hudson and Sandy Nurse, Assemblymember Nikki Lucas, Senator Zellnor Myrie, our government partners and the many community organizations whose leadership carried this effort forward. This is not only a marker of where we have been; it is a foundation for where our community will go next.”
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas
“The unveiling of ‘Little Panama Way’ represents more than a street co-naming it is the public recognition of a community whose history, culture and contributions deserve to be preserved and celebrated. I was proud to sponsor A.8904-A to establish the Little Panama Cultural District and help transform recognition into opportunity through cultural investment, tourism, entrepreneurship, education and the arts. Together, the street co-naming and cultural district create a foundation for honoring the past while building a stronger future for New York’s Panamanian community.”
State Senator Zellnor Myrie
“I serve in the Senate seat of the late Panamanian-born Senator Waldaba Stewart. For generations, Panamanians have enriched the cultural, economic and civic life of Crown Heights and communities across New York. I was proud to sponsor S.9429 in the State Senate because the Panama Cultural District will help preserve that legacy and create new opportunities for investment, visibility and community pride. The unveiling of ‘Little Panama Way’ is a powerful reminder that the history built along Franklin Avenue is an essential part of Brooklyn’s story and deserves recognition for generations to come.” [
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant
“I am proud that Little Panama Way sits in the heart of the district I represent, where generations of Panamanians have built families, businesses, institutions and cultural traditions that have strengthened Crown Heights and all of Brooklyn. As a co-sponsor of A.8904-A, I was honored to help advance the Little Panama Cultural District and secure lasting recognition for this extraordinary community. Little Panama Way is a powerful affirmation that the Panamanian community’s legacy belongs permanently within the story of New York.”
Panamanian Community Organization DICPNY, Dr. Maria C. Willis
“This street co-naming is a historic and deeply meaningful moment for the Panamanian community in Brooklyn,” said Dr. Maria C. Willis, President of the Day of Independence Committee of Panamanians in New York (DICPNY). “For 31 years, the Panamanian Parade has transformed Franklin Avenue and kept the culture alive for future generations to build upon. We are happy to be a leading partner of the “Little Panama Way” street Co-Naming.
Panamanian Community Organization Laura P. James Davis
Over ten years ago the idea to co-name Franklin Ave with the name Panama was a vision the APOUSA organization and the Panama Canal International Alumni Association Inc. (PCIAA) represented by Mrs. Laura P. Thomas James Davis, today, we support and commends Panama 507 Roundtable Group and it’s founder Dr. Gregorio Mayers and it’s members for their non-stop dedication and expertise that we as Panamanians and friends can be present at the historical co-naming to “Little Panama Way”
ABOUT PANAMA 507 ROUNDTABLE GROUP
Founded in 2023, Panama 507 Roundtable Group is a public policy think tank that advances the civic, cultural and socioeconomic interests of Panamanians in New York. The organization convenes community leaders, advocates before government and builds partnerships that preserve Panamanian heritage while expanding opportunity for future generations. Members include Gregorio Mayers, Founder and CEO, along with Onida Coward Mayers, L. Jimmy McCormack, Dr. Maria C. Willis and Ihan Quijano.
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