Street Named to Honor Bill Perkins
- thepaper6
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
By Jayden Pantoja
On October 4th, a bustling crowd of Harlem residents and NYC councilmembers gathered together on 110th Street and 5th Avenue to celebrate the late Former Senator Bill Perkins. Near Central Park resides a street named in his honor, a tribute to a man whose life was intertwined with that very community. But who was Bill Perkins, and how did his impact expand from a single community to New York City as a whole?
Born in Harlem on April 18th, 1949, Perkins grew up with his family consisting of his mother, cousin, and two brothers. In his early education, he attended the Collegiate Prep School in the Upper West Side. From there, he received a scholarship to attend Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island. He graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, where he refined his leadership skills and eventually returned to the city. From that point onwards, he dedicated himself to public service within the Harlem community.
His community efforts centered on education reform, civil rights, and the fight for the Living Wage law. However, his role of serving the community as a civic leader was vital in the case of five teenagers who were arrested and charged with the assault and rape of a jogger named Trisha Meili. Her body was found badly beaten on the morning of April 20th, 1989, which led law enforcement to arrest Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam. These teens became known as the Central Park Five amidst a growing crime rate unfolding in the city, leaving the public worried. After they were arrested, they were interrogated by expert homicide detectives and were convicted to serve between 5 to 15 years in prison, with Salaam serving 7 years in juvenile hall.
Bill Perkins, at the time of the Central Park Five being convicted, was not convinced that they should serve time due to how quickly the tabloids made the public nervous. He realized that because he would serve the Harlem community and participate in peaceful activism events, he could make arrangements for the families of the convicted to visit them while they served time. At that point, he and other neighborhood activists became frustrated by how the city was led to believe that the teens who were thought to commit the crime were regarded as “urban terrorists.” Motivated by activism, Perkins took the stand in defense of the 5 teenagers, jeopardizing his seat on the City Council.
On December 19th, 2002, Supreme Court Justice Charles J. Tejada received a confession from Matias Reyes, who was known to be a serial rapist. With the DNA positively matching evidence for the case, Tejada exonerated the Central Park Five and sentenced Reyes to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty. After the exoneration, Yusef Salaam would move on to become a public advocate to teach others the impacts of police brutality and mass incarceration. While fulfilling his responsibilities on the City Council, Perkins went on to win the 2007 New York State Senate election, aided by his experience as Deputy Majority Leader. A few years back, he led the strongest prevention law in the state, which protected children from lead paint hazards in homes back in 2004.
As Perkins served the New York State Senate, he would continue the fight for increased funding in CUNY universities and successfully managed to have these universities offer more full-time scholarships. He worked to increase staffing for under-resourced schools that lacked professors, counselors, and administrators. A bill that Perkins pushed for to be introduced to the council was the Patriot Act Resolution, which implemented anti-terrorism laws in NYC while preserving the rights and liberties of citizens. It would also prevent discrimination against people who serve in the military and allow for stronger law enforcement security measures. He would continue to serve in the City Council until the end of 2021, when his seat was taken by Kristin Richardson Johnson, a democratic socialist politician. Until his passing on May 16th, 2023, Bill Perkins would remain dedicated to serving his community, leaving behind a lasting legacy that continues to shape Harlem.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, a friend of Bill Perkins, spoke about Perkins' impact in his speech at the street opening ceremony.
“Bill lived his life to the fullest. To the fullest. I was happy to serve with him as a state senator, I was happy to serve when I was borough president, and I’m happy because of what he has said and what he has contributed to me as the mayor of the city of New York.”
Pamela Green Perkins, the wife of Bill Perkins, also shared in the street opening ceremony about what it means for his name to be recognized on the sign in her speech.
“When the community walks past the street with his name, I hope they will understand what his legacy is. I think that it is fortuitous that, based on the relationship with the Exonerated Five, and Yusef in particular, it is Councilmember Salaam who authored this renaming. My family is also forever grateful for Senator Cordell’s friendship for over 20 years, and her handholding as we continue to grieve Bill’s transition. The renaming is a unifying event for everyone to know that Bill, a son of Harlem, willingly and enthusiastically dedicated his work to his community.”
Jayden Pantoja is majoring in Communications with a concentration in Journalism. He has keen interests in meteorology, photography, and motorsport. He also spends his free time listening to music, taking pictures of the city, and watching documentaries.
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