Celtics star Jaylen Brown (center) and others unveil a plaque for the new bridge.
Barack Obama presents Bill Russell with the 2010 Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 15, 2011.
On Monday, Mayor Michelle Wu joined Jeannine Russell, Gov. Maura Healey, other state and local officials, and Celtics leadership and players to rename the North Washington Street Bridge the William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge, in honor of NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell.
Currently under construction, the Russell Bridge spans the Charles River and connects Charlestown to the West End and North End near TD Garden. Bridge construction, led by Mass- DOT, is expected to be completed in early 2025.
In summer of 2025, a plaque will be installed on the northbound side of the bridge, which is now partially open to drivers and pedestrians as the construction finishes.
Bill Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, in segregated West Monroe, Louisiana, and spent his early childhood there. At age 9, he moved to Oakland, California. There, his parents, Charles and Katie Russell, made a living working in the shipyards. His mother passed away when he was 12 years old.
A gifted athlete, Russell attended
the University of San Francisco, where he was a world-class high jumper
and basketball talent. He led the USF Dons to backto-back NCAA
basketball championships in 1955 and 1956. His roommate at the time was
his future Celtics teammate, K.C. Jones.
Russell
led the U.S. men’s basketball team to Olympic Gold in 1956, defeating
the Soviet Union. In December of that year, he came to Boston with his
then-fiancé, Rose. They married and bought a home in Reading,
Massachusetts, where they resided throughout Bill’s Celtics career. They
later divorced.
Russell
played center for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969, during which
time the team won 11 NBA Championships. He was an essential part of that
late 1950s and ’60s Celtics dynasty, both as a player and coach — the
first Black coach of a professional basketball team. Having won more
championships than any other NBA player, he is considered one of the
greatest basketball players of all time. His number was retired in 1972.
In 2011, President Barack
Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2013,
his bronze statue was unveiled on Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
Russell was not reluctant to voice his opinion. He took firm stands against segregation, racial inequality and racial injustice.
“Bill
Russell was a champion not only on the basketball court, but in his
daily life, fighting for equality and serving as a role model for future
athletes and activists,” said Wu at the Oct. 21 ceremony.
“It’s fitting that a man known for his vision and determination to create
bridges to our future will now always be commemorated on the gateway
into downtown Boston,” she said. “I’m grateful to Mrs. Jeannine Russell,
who worked with us to find the right way to memorialize his legacy, and
all who helped create this tribute to a beloved Boston figure.”
“This
bridge, like Bill, stands strong and enduring,” said Jeannine Russell,
his widow. “It connects people with purpose, just as he connected the
struggles of the past with the hopes of the future.”
Healey
said, “Bill Russell was a giant. On the court, he was an unmatched
defender, facilitator and leader. The intensity and passion he brought
to the game made him a natural leader off the court as well, making
powerful contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and inspiring
millions, even today.”
“It
is so meaningful to stand with the Russell family to rename this bridge
in his honor, and I’m grateful to Mayor Wu for making this happen,”
Healey added. “I hope that everyone who travels across this bridge will
take a moment to think about the man that made such a positive impact in
Massachusetts and beyond.”
Steve
Pagliuca, Celtics co-owner and president of the Boston Celtics Shamrock
Foundation, said, “Bill Russell was a legend both on and off the court.
Through his groundbreaking activism for racial justice, he paved the
way for future athletes to use their platform to demand equal rights and
take a stand on issues outside of the arena. Russell’s legacy
transcends basketball, and we are honored today to celebrate the
renaming of the North Washington Street Bridge the ‘William Felton Bill
Russell Bridge.’”
“Bill
Russell made a significant impact on and off the court,” said state
Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “I am thrilled that the city of
Boston and MassDOT found a unique way to forever honor his legacy. I am
confident that the public will be pleased with the new bridge.”