Key Takeaways
- A Roxbury street was renamed “New Edition Way” to honor the group’s contributions to music and their Boston roots.
- The event was part of “For the Culture Week,” celebrating Black history and HBCU pride across the city.
- Members of New Edition joined fans and city leaders at the ceremony, reflecting on their journey and community impact.
Boston paid tribute to one of its most influential musical groups on Saturday (Aug. 30) by renaming a street and declaring a holiday.
New Edition — comprised of Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, and Johnny Gill — was honored during a ceremony that took place in Roxbury. It is a neighborhood where most of the members were born and raised. In addition to crafting timeless hits like “Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” and “Mr. Telephone Man,” everyone achieved success away from the six-man group, with three branching off to form Bell Biv DeVoe.
Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the cheering crowd as she made the proclamation official. “I now have the honor of officially declaring today ‘New Edition Day’ in the city of Boston,” she announced, per CBS.
Supporters celebrate all six members of New Edition together
Fans gathered in droves to celebrate the group’s impact. “New Edition was a big part of my history growing up. New Edition was like the soundtrack to my youth,” one fan told CBS. Brown expressed gratitude to the community. “New Edition Way is the way life is for us and has been for us for a long time,” he said.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also highlighted the cultural significance of the honor. “These are six extraordinarily talented Black men, five sons of Roxbury and one of the DMV, whom we happily embrace,” she said.
Boston’s “For the Culture Week” highlights Black history and HBCUs
The celebration was a highlight of Mayor Wu’s “For the Culture Week,” a citywide initiative focused on celebrating Black history and HBCU pride. Events included the Essence HBCU Classic football game at Harvard Stadium, which drew around 12,000 attendees for a matchup between Morehouse College and Johnson C. Smith University.
Segun Idowu, Boston’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, spoke to CBS about the importance of hosting such events locally. “We don’t want to keep traveling to Atlanta or North Carolina or other places. We want to have it right here at home,” he expressed.