Harlem’s Historic 110th St. Central Park North Subway Station Renamed In Honor Of Malcolm X

Malcom X’s legacy will live on in New York’s historic Harlem neighborhood. On Aug. 10, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order, renaming the 110th Street Central Park North subway station to honor the legendary civil rights leader. It will now be called 110th-Malcolm X Plaza.

According to an X post shared via the 66-year-old governor’s account on Sunday, Hochul was joined by Malcolm’s daughters to celebrate the big unveiling. 

“Starting today, the 110th Street–Central Park North station proudly bears the name of one of Harlem’s most powerful voices: Malcolm X,” Hochul captioned photos from the event. “Honored to join his daughters in celebrating their father’s unwavering fight for justice.”

Malcolm X Plaza pays tribute to the civil rights leader’s legacy in Harlem.

The renaming pays tribute to Malcolm X’s deep roots in the community, where he lived for more than a decade before his assassination in 1965. In 1956, Minister El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz—better known as Malcolm X—established Muhammad’s Temple of Islam No. 7 at 102 W. 116th Street, marking the Nation of Islam’s (NOI) presence in Harlem. Following his assassination on Feb. 21, 1965, the temple was firebombed by individuals who believed the Nation of Islam was behind his death. The explosion destroyed the entire top floor, sparing only Malcolm X’s office, according to Columbia University.

The community later rebuilt the temple, expanding it into a center that included a mosque, school, local businesses, and youth programs for children ages 3 to 18 focused on both academics and character development. In 1976, Imam W. D. Mohammed renamed the temple Masjid Malcolm Shabazz to honor Malcolm X’s legacy. Today, the mosque remains a prominent landmark in Harlem, easily recognized by its distinctive green dome, and now hosts the Sunni Islamic congregation. 

Notably, although Malcolm rose to national prominence as a minister for the NOI, he eventually split from the organization in 1964 over concerns about the conduct of Elijah Muhammad. After leaving the NOI, Malcolm founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and later the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Harlem, broadening his focus to include human rights and global solidarity.

Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, told New York 1 that she was moved by the station’s historic renaming. She hopes that the signing will give courage to younger generations to be the change they want to see in the world, just like her heroic father.

“It was his unwavering moral compass rooted in boundless love for us all that gave him the courage to speak truth to power, no matter the cost,” she shared.

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