by Lisa Reisman The New Haven independent
It began with an effort to have functioning bathrooms in his daughters’ school. It grew to a fight for better conditions in classrooms, improved treatment by the police, high-quality housing, free summer camp, the creation of a park in a vacant lot, and employment programs and adult education classes.
All along, as Rev. Donald Morris put it on a sunny, wind-swept Friday, Fred Harris Jr. — the co-founder of the Hill Parents Association and Hill Health Center, grassroots activist, and community leader — “stood in the gap.”
That legacy was honored Friday during a ceremony to rename the corner of South Frontage Road and Park Street “Fred Harris Way.” The event was organized by the Hill North Community Management Team and the Yale School of Medicine’s Community Histories Lab and attended by 50 of Harris’ friends, fellow soldiers, and family.
“I knew him, I walked with him, and I can tell you Fred Harris would stand up and fight for righteousness, and it came from his heart, he led with his heart, and he led with dignity,” said Morris, pastor of Life Kingdom Outreach Ministries, to the spirited crowd.
Harris Jr., who will turn 87 next week, was unable to attend due to a health issue.
“We stand in the shadows of Brother Harris’ works,” said Rev. Scott Marks, the strong breeze flapping the cover over the street sign. Testifying to that influence, he said, as director of New Haven Rising, “we’re working on jobs, world-class schools in this city, and opportunities for our youth.” He asked the group to remember Annie Boyd, the Hill stalwart and community activist, who died Thursday at the age of 80.
“Fred Harris set the standard for what community leadership could and should look like, and he led with humility, never seeking recognition but always lifting up those alongside him,” said organizer Sophie Edelstein, a Yale School of Public Health graduate who has specialized in the work of Black organizers on community health efforts in New Haven, including Fred Harris.
Day’Shawn Lyons.
Day’Shawn Lyons, Harris’ grandson, referred to his breadth of compassion. “In a lot of things he did in this community, it wasn’t just Black and Brown people, he had Caucasian people by his side, Hispanics, because his bigger message was community coming together for the greater good,” he said.
“Yes it was,” someone in the crowd called out as a horn sounded.
“If it wasn’t for Freddy Harris in my life, I don’t think I would be where I am now,” said Connecticut NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile. When Harris came back to New Haven — by then, he had moved to Detroit — “he brought me to Ann Boyd’s house and I would sit there at both of their feet listening to the great stories of the movement,” Esdaile said.
While expressing gratitude for a hearty turnout that included friends and family from Chicago and Detroit, Fred Harris III adopted a cautionary tone. “We thank everyone for their support, but the struggle isn’t over,” he said. “We live in a time where advocacy and fighting for what’s right is still necessary and it’s going to take all kinds of people coming together and saying we will not accept less than what our taxes pay for and what we expect from our political leaders.”
The Fred Harris family, with grandson Day’Shawn Lyons, son Fred Harris III, and daughters Vanessa Harris, Faith Brown, and Shamay Amupadu.
He recognized his mother Rose Harris — “a significant part of the struggle” — then allowed himself a smile. “I have a whole lot of sisters and they make sure we don’t forget the women and the mother,” he said.
After the unveiling, one of those sisters, Vanessa Harris, who had traveled from Detroit for the ceremony, stood on the corner, regarding her father’s name high atop the street as trucks and cars rumbled by.
“It’s a great privilege to be here today and to be able to honor my dad and his legacy,” she said, a pride in her voice as the September sun made the sign gleam. “I can’t wait for him to see it.”