On the evening of Wednesday August 23rd, 1989, the life of a 16-year-old boy was extinguished in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. 

The boy's name is Yusuf Kirriem Hawkins and though Brooklyn was Yusuf's home, Bensonhurst was a largely Italian-American working class community in a turbulent time. Such neighborhoods were generally thought of as "off limits" to boys that looked like him, and outsiders in general. Yusuf and his friends didn't know this. They rightfully assumed they could ride their bikes, take the bus, take the train, or just take a walk anywhere. So on August 23rd, 1989, they innocently did just that.

 Troy, one of Yusuf's friends saw an ad for a used car in the area; and so Troy, Claude, Luther and Yusuf went to look at it. They left his grandmother's East New York home in the early evening.  Three of the boys made it back home that night.  All except Yusuf Kirriem Hawkins, for he had been shot through in the heart.  

 After over two dozen demonstrations in the borough (mostly in Bensonhurst), Yusuf Hawkins tragically, became a household name for years to come. Yusuf  lived in Bedford Stuyvesant at the time of his murder.  Shortly thereafter, the legendary Lenora Fulani commissioned the children of the All Stars Project to paint a mural in Bed Stuy in Yusuf's memory as well as the memory of other fallen.  Decades later, as this mural (on Verona Place and Fulton Street) faded, contemporary artist Gabriel Specter painted a larger portrait of Yusuf in the same spot. In 2016, he returned, this time creating two identical portraits. It is a landmark in our community and has been since those familiarly dark times.  

The tragedy of Yusuf Hawkins is an immutable part of Brooklyn's story. Not only did the news of his death rock the world, but so did the subsequent trials, and many marches through Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in the name of justice. His story was inspiration for songs & films; from Chubb Rock's "Treat'Em Right" to Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever". Yusuf's story will also be told via the authorized documentary, Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (Directed by Muta'Ali); a film that came to one of Yusuf's friends, Charles Darby, in a dream. We, the filmmakers, in unity with the mighty Hawkins Family & friends humbly ask you to support our dream of Co-Naming Verona Place & Fulton Street-

      YUSUF KIRRIEM HAWKINS WAY.

At a recent meeting of Brooklyn Community Board No 3, it was suggested that we gather and present special letters of support. Said support would be taken into consideration when voting and recommending the Co-Naming to Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.  So, beyond us needing signatures from 75% of Verona Place's residents... we need YOU. 

Sincerely,

Victorious De Costa

#StormOverBrooklyn #YusufHawkins