Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Mr. Osman Sharif
Date(s): Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Official Street Name(s): Spruce Street and Irving Turner Boulevard
Ceremonial Intersection Name: Brother Osman Sharif Way
Sponsor: Council President, Mildred C. Crump
Additional Information:
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WHEREAS, Ordinance 6PDF-e, adopted on May 20, 2015, authorizes the designation of an intersection, etc. for honorary and ceremonial purposes; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Osman Sharif, was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but migrated to Newark in his early years and attended the Newark School system graduating from Charlton Elementary School. Cleveland Junior High School and West Side High school, before joining the Air Force and honorably discharged in 1958; and
WHEREAS, Brother Sharif, as he was known throughout Newark’s Muslim community, was a devoted follower and leader in the Nation of Islam. He was one of the most respected members of the Nation of Islam community and gained further respect when he was unjustly incarcerated for trying to cleanse the Newark community of illegal drugs; and
WHEREAS, after twenty (20) years of unlawful solitary confinement at the Management Control Unit (MCU) at Trenton State Prison, his successful class action lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Corrections provided monetary compensation to over forty-eight (48) other inmates in 2001. His endearing legacy as a man of unwavering integrity and unquestionable love and commitment to his family, friends and community will be forever remembered.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council hereby authorizes the honorary and ceremonial renaming of the intersection of Spruce Street and Irving Turner Boulevard as “Brother Osman Sharif Way”.
2. The official name of the said streets shall remain Spruce Street and Irving Turner Boulevard in their entirety.
STATEMENT
This resolution authorizes the renaming of the intersection of Spruce Street and Irving Turner Boulevard “Brother Osman Sharif Way,” for honorary and ceremonial purposes.