Brooklyn Avenue Co-Named To Honor Jamaican Immigrant

By Information Americas Employees Author

Information Americas, BROOKLYN, NY, Sat. Aug. 9, 2025: The nook of Church Avenue and St. Paul’s Place in Brooklyn, NY now bears a brand new title – Leroy Johnson Method. It’s an honor to the life and legacy of the late Jamaican-born activist who turned a driving power for housing justice and neighborhood empowerment in Flatbush.

The road co-naming ceremony, led by New York Metropolis Council Member Rita Joseph, paid tribute to Johnson’s decades-long dedication to organizing, advocacy, and social change.

“As we unveiled this avenue signal, we’re reminded that true change begins on the grassroots – once we come collectively, manage, and uplift each other. Let Leroy’s title be a everlasting reminder that our energy lies in our unity,” stated Councilmember Joseph.

Johnson, who handed away on July 6, 2024, was the chair of the New York Communities for Change (NYCC) Flatbush Chapter since 2010. Underneath his management, the chapter grew its membership and took half in dozens of campaigns — from the Combat for $15 to securing Common Pre-Ok for New York Metropolis kids.

A number one determine in New York’s tenant motion, Johnson helped type quite a few tenant organizations throughout Flatbush and performed a key position within the 2018 marketing campaign to strengthen hire legal guidelines. In the course of the pandemic, he championed the push for the nation’s longest-running eviction moratorium and helped safe greater than $2 billion in rental help for struggling New Yorkers.

“As President of our Flatbush Chapter, Leroy organized, empowered, and uplifted his neighbors each single day. This avenue co-naming is a strong reminder of the legacy he leaves behind — one among service, love, and enduring neighborhood energy,” stated NYCC Govt Director Olivia Leirer.

Past activism, Johnson began a month-to-month pop-up meals and necessities pantry in 2020, offered PPE to residents, and launched an annual sleeping bag drive for homeless New Yorkers. His neighborhood management started in his native St. Mary, Jamaica, the place at age 14 he led a youth membership for the Social Improvement Fee.

After immigrating to New York in 1997, Johnson labored as a safety guard earlier than opening a retailer on Flatbush Avenue in 2004. His life’s work — from grassroots organizing to legislative victories — now lives on on the intersection of Church Avenue and St. Paul’s Place, a long-lasting marker of his affect.