CROWN HEIGHTS — Two community leaders who died last year will soon each have a Crown Heights block named after them, the area’s City Council representative announced.
The former dean of students for Medgar Evers College, Derrick Griffith, will be commemorated by Dr. Derrick E. Griffith Way, located on Montgomery Street between Bedford and Franklin avenues. Dr. Rev. Clarence Norman Sr., the longtime pastor at the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, will be honored by a co-named street next to his church, on Rogers Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Union Street.
The co-namings, approved unanimously by the City Council on Friday, also included a planned street co-naming in Clinton Hill for Carey Gabay, the Cuomo staffer gunned down in Crown Heights last September.
In a statement about the co-namings, Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo said the three men “made an undeniable impact” within the district.
“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," she said.
Griffith served for years at Medgar Evers before he was killed in the fatal Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia last year. Colleagues described him as a “pillar in the community” and a “standout” on campus. In May, the college created a special scholarship in his honor, meant for students who have “overcome major obstacles” to pursue their educations, the school said.
Rev. Norman died in July at 85 years old after serving as the leader of First Baptist for 62 years, growing the congregation from a small group in the 1950s to the 2,000-member group that it is today. The father of five also served as a chaplain for the New York State Division of Parole and a local Crown Heights nursing home; he also founded a local development corporation that helped build housing for seniors in the area.
The new street co-namings are among 42 locations approved by the council on Friday to honor New Yorkers across the city. To see the full list, click here.
