(This story was updated to add new information)
The city of Detroit will honor five Detroiters by officially designating street signs with their names.
Detroit City Council on Tuesday voted to approve secondary street signs for: Vincent Chin, Earl Cureton, Amp Fiddler, Horace L. Sheffield Jr. and J Dilla. Per city code, a street may be assigned a secondary sign with a name in addition to the official street name to serve as an honorary recognition for five years. No more than five honorees can receive a street sign each year.
Signs are typically placed at an intersection significant to the honoree's historical residence or contribution. Proposed honorees must follow specific criteria to be nominated. Detroit now has a total of 62 secondary street signs, according to the city.
Dozens of attendees supported the various individuals, including longtime Detroit Pistons play-by-play commentator George Blaha. Blaha told council members during public comment that he supports naming a street after Cureton, describing him as "a high character guy who represented our city, the University of Detroit, the Pistons and the NBA at the highest level."
Vincent Chin
A sign for Vincent Chin will be placed at Cass Avenue and Peterboro Street.
Chin, a Chinese American man, was beaten to death in 1982 by two white autoworkers in a racially motivated attack. The assailants did not serve prison time and the judge's sentence of probation sparked Asian American communities, locally and nationally, to call for equality, justice and an end to racial discrimination.
Members from multiple Asian American organizations formed a coalition, American Citizens for Justice, sparking an Asian American civil rights movement. Detroit’s Chinatown was where activists met in response to Chin’s murder and where the coalition formed, city records show.
Earl Cureton
The sign honoring NBA player Earl Cureton will be at Stearns and Livernois Avenue.
Cureton was born on Detroit's east side in 1957 and attended Finney High School. He stood out as a basketball player at the University of Detroit Mercy and in the NBA, including playing for the Detroit Pistons for the 1983-86 seasons.
His professional career lasted 17 seasons before he retired at 39, after the 1996-97 season with the Toronto Raptors. After retiring, Cureton went into coaching and broadcasting, and served as a community ambassador for the Pistons, advocating for youth programs and enhanced city parks, gyms and recreation centers. Cureton died in February at 66 years old.
"I'm sure there will be no differences of opinion with regard to Earl Cureton. A number of us are here to support the naming of a street after Earl near St. Cecilia, where he and so many others did great things for their personal lives and their careers," Blaha said. "That's how much we all care about Earl, and how saddened we are that we lost him."
Horace L. Sheffield Jr.
A sign honoring Horace L. Sheffield, Jr. will be at Wyoming and Grand River avenues.
Sheffield was born in Georgia but moved to Detroit at 2 years old. At 18 years old, he worked at the Ford River Rouge Plant and was active with the UAW, eventually holding leadership roles. He was a labor and civil rights activist, wrote columns for the Detroit News and Michigan Chronicle, and moderated a weekly talk show, "Focus Detroit," on WJBK, along with hosting a radio program, "The Freedom Forum," on WCHB.
He served as president of the Detroit Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and as the Detroit branch NAACP director. Sheffield, who was Council President Mary Sheffield's grandfather, died in 1995.
Amp Fiddler
The sign be located at Seven Mile Road and Revere Avenue.
The renowned keyboardist and songwriter is credited with nurturing talents of young aspiring artists and teaching production skills. Fiddler has also arranged the delivery of pianos and other instruments for people who could not afford them. Fiddler began his career with this his first solo album "With Respect" and in 2004, he released his album, "Waltz of a Ghettofly." He mentored J Dilla, who is also being recognized with a street sign.
Fiddler died in December 2023 after a cancer battle.
J Dilla
The sign will be placed at Nevada and Charest streets.
The musician and producer helped advance hip-hop music by changing rhythmic sounds and influencing future artists. Dilla recorded with Detroit group "Slum Village" and helped shape the sounds of hometown artists such as Dwele, Royce and Phat Kat. His musical concepts helped influence both electronic and traditional composers, according to the city.
He attended Pershing High School and was closely associated with Fiddler. The honorary sign will be near J Dilla’s family home, where he recorded in a basement studio. He died in 2006.
Dana Afana is the Detroitcity hall reporter forthe Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her:@DanaAfana.