Notable People

1. Dwight Hardy 🏀

Career: Basketball (NCAA / Professional)

13 Growing up in the Andrew Jackson Houses in Melrose, Dwight Hardy witnessed those around him with potential on the basketball court succumb to the dangers of their environment before they could fulfill their dreams of making it big. Despite those obstacles, Hardy rose to prominence. 13 Hardy garnered national attention and captivated New Yorkers while leading the St. John’s University basketball team to its first N.C.A.A. Tournament berth in a decade, and said those experiences helped motivate him, by pushing him to achieve where others have fallen short. He went on to play professionally overseas and remains a respected figure in New York City basketball circles. A basketball tournament — the **James Hardy Birdcage Classic** — 13 was held at the Andrew Jackson Houses in Melrose in his honor.

2. Sergeant Jose Velez 🎖️

Career: U.S. Military (Army)

Sergeant Jose Velez was a resident of the Jackson Houses who served his country with distinction. 13The street was renamed for her son, Sergeant Jose Velez, who was killed while on military duty in Iraq in 2006. While Sergeant Jose Velez was training in Iraq in 2005, he became known for his generosity. 13Fellow soldiers referred to him as “Java Joe” because he shared coffee sent from his Melrose home with them. A street sign at the corner of E. 156th St. and Courtlandt Ave. was dedicated in his memory.

3. Daniel “Danny” Barber 🏘️

Career: Community Activist / Civic Leader

While not a traditional “celebrity,” Danny Barber is one of the most well-known and beloved figures from Jackson Houses. 9Danny Barber is tenant president at the Andrew Jackson Houses. He stepped up during the pandemic to help families get necessary food and repairs. 9During the peak of COVID, Barber even rented a truck and distributed food to families each week. He went on to serve as a larger civic leader: 4We spoke with Daniel Barber, Chair of the Citywide Council of Presidents (CCOP) and Resident Association president. 4There were so many stars who grew up in public housing and others that visited developments where basketball was a highlight. Andrew Jackson was one of those places. To come outside and see people flying through the air was very entertaining.

🏘️ Notable People from the Broader Melrose Neighborhood (Where Jackson Houses Is Located)

The Wikipedia page for Melrose, Bronx lists several notable current and former residents of the neighborhood:

• 12 **B-Lovee** (born 2000), drill rapper affiliated with the OGz group
• 12 **Willie Colon** (born 1983), football player who played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets
• 12 **Sha EK** (born 2003), drill artist affiliated with the OGz group
• 12 **Jimmie Walker** (born 1947), actor who played James “J.J.” Evans Jr. on the CBS sitcom *Good Times*

More on Jimmie Walker 📺

Jimmie Walker is the most nationally famous person from the Melrose area. 25Walker was born on June 25th, 1947, on the mean streets of New York’s South Bronx. At the time it was a poverty-ridden area notorious for its burned-out buildings, graffiti and crime, but to a very young boy, it was nothing more than “the neighborhood.” His life in the Projects centered around the basketball courts and ignoring school. 24He portrayed James (“J.J.”) Evans Jr. on the CBS television comedy series Good Times. The show ran from 1974 to 1979, and Walker was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1975 and 1976 for his role as J.J. 23His catchphrase “Dyn-o-mite!” became a popular item in the American vernacular. Jimmie became such a major celebrity that Time Magazine named him “Comedian of the Decade.”

⚠️ Note: While Walker is confirmed as growing up in the South Bronx projects in the Melrose area, I was unable to confirm with 100% certainty that he lived specifically in the Jackson Houses versus another nearby development.

Summary

Like many NYCHA developments, Jackson Houses has produced community heroes and athletes whose stories are deeply important but not always widely documented in mainstream media. If you have any personal or community knowledge of other notable residents, I’d love to hear about them!

Jackson Houses (also known as Andrew Jackson Houses) is a NYCHA public housing development in the South Bronx (Melrose/Morrisania section), located around Park Avenue, Courtlandt Avenue, and East 156th–158th Streets. Like many Bronx projects, it has produced notable talent particularly in basketball and hip-hop, though it doesn’t have as many globally household-name celebrities as some larger or more prominent developments.1

Here are the most notable figures strongly associated with growing up or being raised there:

B-Lovee (Qwayshawn Cannon, born 2000) is the most prominent contemporary figure from the development.
He was primarily raised by his single mother (a hair stylist) in the Andrew Jackson Houses. A Bronx drill rapper of West Indian descent, he began rapping as a teenager and gained significant traction in the early 2020s as part of the Bronx drill scene. Hits like “My Everything” (RIAA Gold certified — the first for a Bronx drill rapper) and “IYKYK,” along with EPs such as Courtlandtbaby (2020) and Misunderstood (2022), and collaborations with artists like A Boogie wit da Hoodie and G Herbo, made him popular. He has been noted for bringing melodic elements to drill and has a strong following in the UK and among drill fans.2

Richie Adams (1963–2026), nicknamed “The Animal,” was a legendary Bronx basketball player and playground icon.
Born and raised in the Andrew Jackson Housing Projects, he discovered basketball at age 13 and became a star at Benjamin Franklin High School in Harlem (where his team was nationally ranked). He went on to play college ball at UNLV for the Runnin’ Rebels under coach Jerry Tarkanian, where the 6’9″ center was known for his athleticism, rebounding (school record at the time), and scoring. He earned Pacific Coast Athletic Association Player of the Year honors and was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1985 (though he didn’t stick in the NBA). He remains remembered as a classic New York City hoop legend and streetball standout from the projects, despite later personal and legal struggles.3

Dwight Hardy is a well-regarded local basketball figure and St. John’s University standout.
He grew up in the Andrew Jackson Houses (often described as a tough, gang-plagued environment at the time) and played at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. At St. John’s (Red Storm), he became a key player and fan favorite during successful seasons around 2011, contributing to NCAA Tournament runs with his scoring and leadership. He played professionally overseas afterward and is noted locally for giving back to the community by organizing basketball tournaments and events at the Houses to inspire youth.4

These are the primary names that consistently come up in connection with the development. Basketball has a particularly strong tradition there due to the playgrounds and community courts, while B-Lovee represents the newer wave of Bronx hip-hop talent emerging from the area. As with many NYCHA projects, oral histories and local accounts often highlight additional community leaders, educators, and unsung local athletes or artists, but the above are the ones with broader recognition outside the immediate neighborhood.