Street In Bed-Stuy To Be Named For Murdered Teen Yusuf Hawkins

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A street in the neighborhood will soon bear the name of Yusuf Hawkins, the Black teenager who was shot and killed by a white mob in 1989.

Elected officials revealed Wednesday that a series of street co-namings approved by City Council include two in Brooklyn, one for Hawkins, who was from East New York, in Bed-Stuy and another for newspaper columnist Pete Hamill in Park Slope.

“Although Pete Hamill and Yusuf Hawkins came from different worlds and left different marks on history, they were both Brooklynites who contributed immeasurably to the borough they called home," Borough President Eric Adams and council members Brad Lander and Robert Cornegy said in a joint statement.

"These co-namings will enshrine their memories for generations to come, so Brooklynites and New Yorkers know who they were and why they mattered. As we face another pivotal moment in our borough and city’s history, it is important to recognize those who came before us, and these dedications will ensure their legacies live on."

Hawkins was shot and killed by a white mob in Bensonhurst in 1989 when he was just 16. His name became a rallying cry after his death, which was the same year as the Central Park Five case.

"Though Hawkins did not live to see the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, which sprung up in the wake of the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, many see his tragic murder and the wave of activism it catalyzed, which brought greater awareness about racist violence against people of color, as a precursor to the movement," the lawmakers said.

The street co-naming will not be the first time Hawkins is memorialized in the borough. A mural honoring the teenager was painted in Bed-Stuy and Brooklynites have held marches on the anniversary of his death.

Most recently, HBO released a film about the killing.

Hawkins' co-naming will be on Verona Place between Fulton and Macon streets while Hamill's will be on Seventh Ave. between 11th and 12th streets.