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Residents, activists, city officials, and community leaders gathered in West Oakland on Wednesday to dedicate a three-block section of Ninth Street to Huey P. Newton, the revolutionary Black leader who, together with Bobby Seale, co-founded The Black Panther Party in Oakland in 1966. The small stretch of street has been officially renamed Dr. Huey P. Newton Way.
The event, which took place at the intersection of Ninth Street and Mandela Parkway—not far from the spot where Newton was shot and killed in 1989—was organized with support from the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, which was established and is led by Newton’s widow, Fredrika Newton. She was joined at the renaming ceremony by dozens of activists including current and former members of the Black Panther Party. City Councilmember Carroll Fife, whose district includes West Oakland, also attended and spoke.
The street renaming is one of several events this year in West Oakland to honor the legacy of the Black Panther Party, joining a recently unveiled mural dedicated to women of the BPP, and a forthcoming bronze bust of Newton that will be placed in West Oakland.
The Oaklandside’s photographer, Amir Aziz, was on hand to capture images of Wednesday’s renaming ceremony.
Fredrika Newton, widow of Huey P. Newton and co-founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation addressing the crowd before the naming ceremony. Credit: Amir AzizThe Huey P. Newton Way street sign was covered in cloth before the unveiling by Fredrika Newton and other Black Panther Party members. Credit: Amir AzizGroups of activists, including members of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, and West Oakland’s Black community showed up for the Dr. Huey P. Newton Way naming reveal. Credit: Amir AzizChairman Fred Hampton Jr. and Danielle Lashawn of West Oakland at the street naming ceremony. Credit: Amir AzizMembers of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense attended the Huey P. Newton Way street naming reveal. Credit: Amir AzizCarroll Fife, District 3 councilmember, speaks to the crowd at the street renaming ceremony. Credit: Amir AzizHuey P. Newton’s photo and flowers left by visitors of the ceremony at an altar that was constructed at the corner of Center & 9th streets in West Oakland, across the street from where the Black Panther leader was murdered in 1989. Credit: Amir AzizFredrika Newton and Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., son of original Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton of Chicago, embracing at the name revealing ceremony. Credit: Amir AzizA street sign depicting Dr. Huey P. Newton Way was placed at the corner of 9th and Center streets in West Oakland. Credit: Amir Aziz
