Harlem Renames Subway Station in Honor of Malcolm X, Brooklyn Next

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
“It was wonderful,” Malaak Shabazz told Our Time Press about the recent Malcolm X Plaza subway station renaming in Harlem. “My mother Dr. Betty Shabazz worked very hard to have Lenox Avenue named Malcolm X, so now to have the subway station which is the entrance to Harlem and the Plaza, named after my father, is overwhelming.”

On Sunday, August 10th, 2025, surrounded by Friends of Malcolm X Plaza, Malcolm X family members, elected officials, community leaders, and grassroots activists–Governor Kathy Hochul signed State Senator Cordell Cleare and Assemblyman Jordan Wright’s bills to have their complimentary legislation signed into law–and rename the “110th Street – Central Park North” subway station to the “110th Street – Malcolm X Plaza” station.

The scorching heat did not deter the hundreds who attended the community-packed event on Malcolm X Plaza in the hours-long tribute creating the permanent landmark.

Present too were three of the six daughters of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz: Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz: Malaak Shabazz, and Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz. Also on scene was their cousin Rondell Collins, son of Ella Collins, and nephew to Malcolm X–El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Attendees included Mayor Eric Adams, Majority Leader Andrea Stuart-Cousins, Assemblyman Jordan Wright, City and Councilmember Yusef Salaam. New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow told Our Time Press, “Malcolm X stood for freedom and equality, principles that directly align with our mission at NYC Transit. Now when riders come to the renamed station, they’ll be reminded of its namesake’s unwavering commitment to civil rights and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.”

This is Malcolm X’s centennial year, also the 60th anniversary of his assassination. So, even as Governor Hochul signed the renaming bill into law, there were another three asks on the table. The Friends of Malcolm X Plaza – a coalition of Harlem organizations, churches, mosques and political and cultural activists, are calling for a permanent statue of Malcolm X; a fully renovated, accessible subway station at 110th Street; and the expansion of the ongoing beautification and cultural enhancements to make the Plaza.

“I applaud my colleagues Senator Cordell Cleare and Assemblymember Jordan Wright in championing this effort, and Governor Hochul for signing the Harlem subway renaming into law, ensuring Malcolm X’s name is honored at 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza,” Assemblymember Stefani L. Zinerman told Our Time “In Brooklyn, our bill to rename the Utica Avenue station to Malcolm X Blvd/Utica Avenue passed the Assembly this session but stalled in the Senate.

I am committed to seeing it through next year so that by Malcolm X’s 101st birthday, his name will stand proudly in both Harlem and Bed-Stuy, the communities that nurtured his voice and legacy. For our neighborhoods, this is about more than a sign — it is about affirming our history and the enduring power of Malcolm’s words, ‘A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.’”

Brooklyn-born Malaak Shabazz said the family are proud that her parent’s legacy continues. “The story did not end with my father’s assassination. My mother made sure that she kept his legacy alive worldwide, that the world knew who he was and what his mission was. The Audubon Ballroom, where my father was assassinated [On February 21, 1965], because of my mother, is now the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center [opened on May 19, 2005].

She changed a place of tragedy into a place of triumph, purpose and positive information for the community, with educational programs, and events. My mother was heavy into education. She was a professor and then a dean at Medgar Evers College, and gave scholarships to children locally, nationally and globally. I think the way the community is now embracing my father’s legacy, and his mission is absolutely wonderful.”

Community advocate Kazembe Batts helped create the movement to rename the subway station at Utica Avenue and Fulton Street in Bed Stuy after Malcolm X. Batts, who also writes for this very paper, took his vision from Brooklyn-based Albany electeds garnering support and bills from Assemblywoman Zinerman, and State Senator Zellnor Myrie. The bill passed the assembly, but not the senate.

The activist said, “I support the Harlem subway renaming. It is wonderful. Brooklyn is pledged to get our station, too. The Bed Stuy community is gearing up to press the issue. New York City can have two Malcolm X stations. There are two Utica stations, in the same area so we can have a Malcolm X station in Brooklyn, and one in Harlem. It’s only right.”