4th Ward Alderman Lamont Robinson recently spearheaded the effort to name a street after beloved and revered community leader Shirley J. Newsome as a tribute to her remarkable contributions and impact on Chicago. Ordinance 02023-0003819 Shirley J Newsome Way was sponsored by Ald. Robinson (4th), Ald. Dowell (3rd) and Ald. Ervin (28th) and passed City Council’s vote unanimously by all in attendance on October 4, 2023.
Her long tenured leadership on the South side of Chicago is well documented and appreciated. In 2011 when Newsome was the board chairman of the North Kenwood-Oakland Conservation Community Council, she was appointed 4th Ward Alderman by Mayor Richard Daley to briefly fill the role vacated when Toni Preckwinkle assumed her post as President of the Cook County Board.
The community was invited to join the 4th Ward to celebrate the life of and recognize Ms. Newsome’s contributions on November 11, 2023 for an Honorary Street Naming Dedication at 4100 S Lake Park Ave.
Current 4th Ward Ald. Lamont Robinson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined Commissioner Bill Lowry and Newsome’s granddaughter Naquitta Dent for the street dedication Saturday. Remarks made by Ald. Monique Scott, Ald. Pat Dowell, and Rhonda McFarland of the Quad Communities Development Corporation echoed sentiments expressed.
Newsome’s granddaughter, who returned to Chicago for the ceremony, clutched her young son as she spoke to the crowd. Clearly touched by the outpouring of love honoring her late grandmother, Dent reflected, “Legacy is about something that will outlast all of us, and that is exactly what my grandmother did.”
The street sign Honorary Shirley J. Newsome Way has been mounted at the corner of 41st St and Lake Park Ave.
—–
Post updated after event held 11.11.2023