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Greensboro Street Signs Changed To Honor Education, Civil Rights Activist

The street that used to be known as Aycock Street is now Josephine Boyd Street.

Change has officially come to one Greensboro street. You might remember the city decided to rename Aycock Street after debate over its namesake. Charles Aycock was the governor of North Carolina in the early 1900, but was an advocate for white supremacy.

RELATED: Plans To Rename Aycock Street To Josephine Boyd Street Underway In Greensboro

Credit: WFMY

Today, the change has come and the new street signs are up. What was Aycock Street is now Josephine Boyd Street. The street honors the late Josephine Boyd Bradley. She was the first black student to attend what's now Grimsley High. Her daughter Paulette spoke with us via facetime and said, "She was alone her senior year going to school, she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and did very well. [...] She truly believed in education and loved students." 

RELATED: Meeting To Discuss Renaming Aycock Street

Bradley went on to get her undergrad degree, a masters in social work, and a ph d. She became an educational advocate in North Carolina and several other southeastern states before her death in 2015.

RELATED: Aycock Historical Neighborhood To Consider Name Change

Paulette said the street sign recognition brings things full circle. "We are grateful that my mother who wrote her dissertation entitled 'Wearing Her Name' has a street named after her and indeed we are all wearing her name today."

RELATED: Historic Aycock Neighborhood in Greensboro Changing Its Name

When asked what her mom would think about the honor, Paulette said, "My mom was so humble and extremely meek in her approach to everything and she would be overwhelmed at the fuss that's being made over her and I think she would be happy... very happy to see what after awhile, the moral arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice."

RELATED: Commentary: Aycock Renaming, Where Do We Draw The Line?

The street sign change cost the city about $15,000 and Paulette encourages people to check it out, "She cherished students reaching their academic goals, so I would encourage everyone to ride by and see the street and remember that about her."

    

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