BOSTON – The City of Boston officially renamed the North Washington Street Bridge in Bill Russell’s honor in a ceremony Monday morning as he was remembered as a decorated champion and civil rights icon who transcended sports.
Charlestown will now connect to Boston’s West End and North End with the “William Felton ‘Bill’ Russell Bridge.”
Russell’s widow, Jeannine Russell, joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey at the ceremony to honor the Celtics legend. Celtics co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca were at the event, and current Celtics star Jaylen Brown helped unveil the new sign that will sit above the bridge.
The bridge is currently under construction and should be finished by April.
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“A bridge for civil rights”
Jeannine Russell was brought to tears as she spoke about her husband’s civil rights impacts.
“He used his platform to challenge injustice and inequality. So in this way, he literally and figuratively was a bridge for civil rights,” she said. “He spoke out when silence would have been easier. He stood up to injustice when he had something to lose. He marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he never stopped pushing for a better, fairer world.”
Why Bill Russell “transcends sports”
Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who helped the franchise to its 18th NBA championship last season, joked he was thankful he was allowed to be late to practice to honor Russell.
“I’m a community guy, I always have been. I think it’s important to encourage collaboration. I think that the decisions that we make today and tomorrow have an effect on the next generation,” Brown said.
He recalled the times he met Russell, and why he was so important in the community.
“Bill Russell transcends sports. I could speak on and on about his resume. But his character, his demeanor, how he handled himself through adversity, I think that speaks volumes, especially in a time like today,” Brown said. “Bill Russell, I think it’s very fitting that the bridge is getting named after him. Because what a bridge does is bring people together.”
Massachusetts governor on Bill Russell’s impact
Healey spoke at the ceremony, saying Russell’s impacts went far beyond the basketball court.
“Bill Russell is one of my heroes. He is someone who showed you can start out with a love of basketball, and change the world in the process,” Healey said. “The intensity, the passion that he brought to the game made him a natural leader off the court as well. He showed deep personal strength and dignity in the face of racism. He made powerful contributions to the civil rights movement. He inspired millions, and continues to inspire us today.”
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Bill Russell’s Legacy
Russell won 11 championships in his 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, but the renaming of the bridge is to honor his work during the Civil Rights movement. Russell was always a champion for equality, and often endured racism and abuse from fans around the country and in Boston during his playing days.
Russell was at the March on Washington in 1963 when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. He was also a national mentorship leader, and only agreed to have a statue in his likeness put up at Boston’s City Hall Plaza if it it promoted and raised money for mentorship programs.
Russell is one of just eight players to win an NCAA title, an NBA title, and a Gold Medal at the Olympics. In addition to being an 11-time champion and five-time MVP as a player, Russell was also the first black head coach in NBA history. He led the Celtics to two titles as a player-coach in 1968 and 1969.
He was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 and had his No. 6 retired by the Celtics in 1995. Russell died at the age of 88 in 2022.