Bed-Stuy street renamed to honor slain teen Yusuf Hawkins

Hawkins was killed on Aug. 23, 1989, after he and his three friends, who were also Black, went to a mostly white neighborhood in Bensonhurst to look at a used car that was for sale.

News 12 Staff

Mar 20, 2021, 4:54 PM

Updated 1,297 days ago

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The legacy of Yusuf Hawkins was honored Friday with a co-street naming in Bed-Stuy, right near his childhood home. 
Hawkins was killed on Aug. 23, 1989, after he and his three friends, who were also Black, went to a mostly white neighborhood in Bensonhurst to look at a used car that was for sale. 
While they were there, 30 white men armed with at least one gun, bats and gold clubs chased the 16-year-old and his friends. 
Hawkins was later shot twice in the chest. Four men were later convicted, with the gunman now up for parole in 2022. 
Following his death, racial tensions flared. 
Hawkins’ story was later chronicled in an HBO documentary titled “Storm Over Brooklyn,” which was released last year. 
Now, future generations will know of “Yusuf Kirriem Hawkins Way.”
The street sign was unveiled in front of loved ones, and the unveiling coincided with his birthday.