Elected officials, community members and members of the Nation of Islam Mosque Number 11 turned out Saturday, September 12 for the dedication of the intersection of Washington Street and Blue Hill Avenue as Minister Don Muhammad and Sister Shirley Muhammad Square.

Minister Don, as he was known, led the Grove Hall Mosque for more than four decades. He and Sister Shirley brought stability to the community during turbulent times, providing aid and counsel to countless families, young men returning from incarceration, and to elected officials and police brass seeking to put a lid on crime in the community.

“Especially during challenging times in Boston, Minister Don and Sister Shirley provided critical leadership, not only throughout Grove Hall but the entire city,” said City Councilor Ed Flynn, who attended the ceremony along with his father, former Mayor Raymond Flynn. “Minister Don and Sister Shirley never gave up on people, especially those struggling in life and in need of a helping hand and guidance.”

It was during the crack epidemic of the early 1980s that Minister Don began working with the late Police Commissioner Francis “Mickey” Roache, under the administration of the elder Flynn, to tackle crime in Grove Hall and throughout the Roxbury and Dorchester communities. He forged relationships between clergy, police and youth workers. Among Muhammad’s strengths was his ability to mediate gang disputes before they turned deadly.

“There were gangs that were at war — real conflicts — and Minister Don would bring them in and mediate,” said Minister Randy Muhammad, who took the leadership of the mosque eight years ago, after Minister Don retired. “People respected him and the work he and the Fruit of Islam were doing in the community. He built a rapport so that people would seek him out and receive guidance from him.”

Under his leadership, Fruit of Islam members patrolled the community to ensure public safety and persuade young men to desist from crime. The methods he deployed in the community helped create a national model for clergy working in violence prevention.

“Minister Don and Sister Shirley Muhammad created a beautiful legacy in their over 70 years of service. They impacted the lives of many who call Boston home, working to quell gang violence, foster re-entry for our formerly incarcerated community members, empower communities of all ages, races, religions, and cultures, and ultimately, leave the world a better place,” U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley said in a statement to the Banner.

“Often known as the ‘power couple’ in the National of Islam, their street naming company was a meaningful celebration of their lives and legacy and my office and I were proud to present their loved ones with a citation from the U.S. House of Representatives,” she added.

Locally, Minister Don earned the respect of clergy of all denominations.

“I think Minister Don’s relations with other clergy was as strong as if we were in the same denomination,” said City Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who is pastor at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Roxbury. “Ministers respected, worked with and prayed with Minister Don for peace in our communities.”

Over the years, Minister Farrakhan frequently tapped minister Don to train other Nation of Islam ministers from around the country and, at times, to mediate disputes between mosques and police in other cities.

Born Don Straughter in 1937 in Beckley, West Virginia, Minister Don joined the Nation of Islam in 1957, shortly after he arrived in Boston from West Virginia. He married Virginia Upshaw, who came to Boston from Halifax, Nova Scotia, within a year of their meeting.

Minister Don passed away in 2024 at age 87. His funeral, held at the Morningstar Baptist Church in Mattapan, was attended by Nation of Islam members, police officers and politicians from across the country, as well as elected officials past and present from Boston.

Reflecting on what it felt to stand amid the crowd, which included several family members, during Saturday’s dedication and honoring event, Dr. J. Keith Motley said he was moved most by the joy, excitement, pride and gratitude shared by such a broad community.

“Minister Don and Shirley Muhammad weren’t only respected within one circle; they moved comfortably across every walk of life, standing alongside governors, mayors, and giants of corporate America—always with the same heart for the citizens of Boston,” Motley, former chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, wrote in a statement to the Banner.

“Their love for the people of Boston is legendary, and this square will stand as a lasting reminder that compassion, dignity, and opportunity are not promises for the future, but legacies for the present,” he added.

Minister Randy said the sign commemorating Minister Don, overlooking the mosque he led for decades, was a powerful way to keep his memory alive.

“To see Minister Don be honored and recognized by his peers who were with him, like Mayor Flynn, and to see the current generation come together to honor him — it was a really great tribute,” he said. “I’m proud and happy that it happened.”

Marianna McMurdock contributed reporting.