Three late African-Americans that left deep and lasting positive contributions to both City Council Member Laurie Cumbo‘s district and to the greater Brooklyn community were amongst the 42 thoroughfares and public places citywide included in a bill that was unanimously passed by the City Council on Friday.
The street co-namings are Carey Gabay Way (Clinton Avenue between Willoughby Avenue and Myrtle Avenue), Dr. Derrick E. Griffith Way(Montgomery Street between Bedford Avenue and Franklin Avenue), and Rev. Clarence Norman Sr. Way (Rogers Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Union Street). All three lost their lives last year.
“Through the practice of law, education, and ministry, three New Yorkers made an undeniable impact within the 35th Council District, which I proudly represent. I am proud that we can pay tribute to the legacies of Carey Gabay, Dean Derrick Griffith, and Reverend Clarence Norman, Sr. by placing street signs in their honor within the very communities they served in their lifetime,” said Cumbo.
Gabay grew up in public housing and attended public school in the Bronx, was a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School. His experience as president of the undergraduate student body was an early indication of his commitment to public service and the betterment of his community, which he continued as assistant counsel for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and later as first deputy counsel for Empire State Development Corporation.
Gabay’s life was cut tragically short when he was shot and killed as a bystander during the predawn celebration of last year’s West Indian Day Parade.
“The Council is proud to honor Carey Gabay, a tremendously dedicated public servant to New York,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Carey represented the best that New York City has to offer, and lost his life while working on behalf of the community in Crown Heights. This co-naming will serve as a small, but enduring, tribute to his legacy as a proud son of Brooklyn who spent his life helping others.”
Griffith served as the Acting Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Medgar Evers College; Assistant Provost for Student Success in the Office of Academic Affairs; and managed the Smart Scholars College – a collaboration between Medgar Evers College and Medgar Evers College Preparatory High School to enroll high school students in college courses. He completed a Ph.D. in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center and was scheduled to graduate on May 27, 2015.
Griffith’s life was tragically cut short when he was among eight people killed in the fatal Amtrak derailment crash in Philadelphia on May 12.
“Derrick was a monumental figure at the college and was beloved by students, faculty and the administration. Having spent his entire adult life working to improve schools and living conditions for children in New York City, honoring his memory will serve to keep him memorialized in a community where he did so much good,” said Dr. Rudy Crew, president of Medgar Evers College.
Norman, Sr. was the founding pastor of the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights where he ministered to a congregation of more than two thousand persons for sixty-two years. In addition, he founded the Local Development Corporation of Crown Heights,which helped develop more than 800 units of housing for senior citizens and low-income families. The Corporation constructed twenty-one buildings in Crown Heights, including the David Chavis Apartments, The Albany Residence, and St. John’s Apartments.
Norman Sr. died following an illness at age 85 on July 8.
“This street co-naming is a true to honor to my father. I want to thank Council Member Cumbo and her staff for making this happen. This will be a lasting memory of all the great work that my father has done in the Crown Heights community and for the City of New York. My family and I couldn’t be more happy to see the legacy of our father preserved in this great city,” said Clarence Norman, Jr., son of the late Reverend Clarence Norman Sr.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams said all the three men lived a life of honor and high distinction.
“Attorney Carey Gabay, educator Dean Derrick Griffith, and clergy leader Reverend Clarence Norman, Sr. each earned their position in the history of Brooklyn by demonstrating a profound commitment to other individuals and the success of our entire civil society. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us find inspiration in their invaluable contributions in our shared effort to unite as One Brooklyn,” said Adams.
