Mayor Marion Barry is now enshrined through the streets of Southeast.
Marion Barry Avenue SE was officially unveiled on Saturday at a ceremony that renamed Good Hope Road SE in Wards 7 and 8 in honor of the man dubbed D.C.'s "mayor for life." You can watch a recording of the ceremony here.
The four-term mayor first got his start in the political arena as a civil rights activist and the first chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
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His contributions to the city were paramount. The mayor was beloved by many for his resiliency and dedication to the District up until his death in 2014.
Among those who spoke about the importance of the dedication were Michael C. Rogers, chair of the Marion Barry Legacy Foundation, and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
“I can say few mayors have had the impact on their city that Marion Barry had on Washington, D.C.,” Rogers said.
“He had used his fine mind and pension for hard work to write his own ticket into the professional class,” Norton said.
On Saturday, plenty of hallmarks of D.C. culture were on display, including go-go music. News4’s Tony Perkins served as the emcee for the ceremony.
