MSBNC reports that a street in New York City near the place where civil rights icon Malcolm X was assassinated may be renamed for his wife, Dr. Betty Shabazz.
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The renaming of the Washington Heights street would be symbolic, taking the form of a sign at the corner of W. 165th Street and Broadway, bearing the name “Betty Shabazz Place.” The location is directly in front of what used to be the Audubon Ballroom and Theater, where Malcolm X was slain.
The building now houses the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Educational Center, which Shabazz worked tirelessly to create. She died before it was completed in 1997, but her daughters took over and opened the center in 2005.
We’re guessing that Dr. Shabazz would be much more concerned with the work the center is doing than with a symbolic naming of a street. Making “Betty Shabazz Place” official — which will happen if a pending resolution is approved by the City Council — will really be for the benefit of the community that’s there today. As her daughter Malaak told the Daily News, “I hope it’s going to inspire young women. We don’t have many heroes.”
Read more at MSNBC.
In other news: African-American Stroke Victims: Most Call a Friend Before 911.
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