MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES ROXBURY BRANCH OF BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO BE RENAMED AFTER SARAH-ANN SHAW

 MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES ROXBURY BRANCH OF BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO BE RENAMED AFTER SARAH-ANN SHAW

Library to posthumously honor Roxbury resident and trailblazing Black television news reporter

BOSTON - Monday, June 23, 2025 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Public Library (BPL) announced the Roxbury Branch of the BPL will be renamed after Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston’s first Black woman TV reporter. The Trustees of the Boston Public Library last week voted overwhelmingly in favor of the renaming, noting Shaw’s substantial contributions to the Roxbury community and to representation for Black female journalists in the television news industry. Shaw worked at WBZ-TV in Boston from 1969 to 2000 and was a lifelong resident of Roxbury. She passed away in 2024 at the age of 90. 

“Sarah-Ann Shaw paved the way for generations of journalists, storytellers, and leaders. Her passion for her Roxbury community and brilliance in reporting stories that otherwise would not have received the coverage they deserved reshaped Boston’s media landscape,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Throughout her career and long after her retirement, she dedicated herself to mentoring the next generation and creating opportunities for education and community to thrive—a mission intertwined with that of our public libraries. Her legacy will live on in this library branch that serves as a hub for the neighborhood. I’m grateful to all the community members who advocated for this naming, for all her family and loved ones, and the BPL for their work to honor Dr. Shaw’s legacy.”

"The family is very grateful to Mayor Wu and the Trustees of the Boston Public Library for this recognition of our matriarch, Sarah-Ann Shaw. As a Roxbury native, and a BPS graduate she would be pleased and humbled by this honor,” said Klare Shaw, daughter of Sarah-Ann Shaw. “Mom was committed to this branch. Whether pushing for empowerment with the Master Plan, or collaborating with her colleagues at the "Friends of the Library" to promote education, literacy, Black History, and culture-- she did the work. We are thankful to everyone who appreciated and loved her, and advocated for this moment. Hopefully, future generations will want to learn about her life and the values she held dear. Mom loved the community and treasured the affection she received in return."

"A trailblazing, beloved, and proud daughter of Roxbury, Sarah-Ann Shaw dedicated her life to educating and empowering her community and the entire City of Boston by unapologetically telling our stories, shattering concrete ceilings, and mentoring other Black journalists here and across the country,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. "Her lifelong commitment to shed light on the joy and brilliance of Boston’s Black and brown communities and lift up neighborhood grassroots movements is an inspiration to us all. To have known Sarah-Ann was to love her, and I’m grateful for her family, for Mayor Wu and the Boston Public Library, and for those who advocated for this library renaming as a powerful tribute to her mark on our home. May her legacy be forever honored in Roxbury, where so many of us recall seeing her building community at the newly renamed Shaw-Roxbury Branch Library at Nubian Square for decades and attempt to live up to the example she set through her words and deeds."

The City’s Public Facilities Commission (PFC) oversees the process for the renaming of municipal buildings. Last week’s vote by the BPL’s Board of Trustees, with 12 board members voting in favor, follows the process to rename a building in honor of an outstanding individual who has displayed exemplary civic service to the city. Any petition to rename a building under the care and custody of the BPL must include a vote by the BPL Board of Trustees and a petition by the BPL President. 

“Collecting and preserving stories of Boston communities is central to the work of the Boston Public Library,” said BPL President David Leonard. “We are pleased to be able to honor Sarah-Ann Shaw’s work as a groundbreaking journalist, who spent her career capturing and telling the untold and underrepresented stories of her city and culture, in addition to her advocacy and community organizing for her community, for Boston, and for the Library.”

“This renaming ensures that generations to come will walk through the doors of the Shaw-Roxbury Branch Library in Nubian Square knowing more about the story of a trailblazer, activist and champion of education and literacy.” said Dion Irish, Chief of Operations. “Sarah-Ann Shaw had a lifelong relationship of service and dedication to this library, Roxbury, and the City of Boston"

“The legacy of Sarah-Ann Shaw is one of activism, community uplift, and sharing of untold stories as a journalist,” said José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services. “I can think of no better way to honor her contributions than renaming a library after her, especially in her home neighborhood of Roxbury.” 

“Sarah-Ann Shaw believed in the power of advocacy, community, and story telling to uplift. The Shaw-Roxbury Branch library in Roxbury’s Nubian Square will serve not only as a home for books, but as a living testament to her spirit and commitment to the neighborhood and library,” said City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune. 

“Sarah-Ann Shaw was a pioneer as the first Black female journalist on the news in Boston. She brought Black voices, and more importantly, Black women’s voices to the masses. She carried on the work of the women who came before her and paved the way for so many who came after,” said State Representative Chris Worrell. “There is no way more fitting of honoring her legacy than through the new Shaw-Roxbury Library that will serve thousands of children throughout Roxbury and Boston for years to come.”

The official name change of the Roxbury Branch of the BPL will be "Shaw-Roxbury Branch Library.” This proposal to rename the branch now goes to Mayor Wu and the Public Facilities Commission (PFC) for final approval. The PFC is expected to vote on the proposal on July 2, 2025.

The Roxbury Branch, located in Nubian Square, opened its doors in April 1978, replacing two smaller locations. The Mount Pleasant Branch opened in 1915 on Vine Street, while the Roxbury Branch, housing the Fellowes Athenaeum, opened on Millmont Street in 1873, and served patrons for more than 100 years. The two locations were merged into what is today the largest branch in the BPL system, serving the entire Roxbury community.  

The City also looks to recognize other significant contributors to the Roxbury Branch including civil rights activist Mamie (Mimi) Jones and Francine Gelzer, the first black librarian at the branch. Mimi was an instrumental figure in the history of both the Grove Hall and Roxbury Branches of the BPL. Mimi and Francine played crucial roles in uplifting community voices. They have left an unforgettable impact on the City of Boston and their legacies will continue to be honored.

"I am thrilled that Sarah-Ann Shaw's name will be included on the Roxbury Branch library building. She was very active volunteering at the library,” said Alma Wright, Roxbury resident. “For many years Sarah-Ann also visited schools in the area encouraging students to apply for Library Cards. As a teacher in the Boston Public Schools for 56 years, I have observed Ms. Shaw's dedication and support at the Roxbury Library."

“The use and increase of membership at the Roxbury Branch library was positively impacted when Sarah-Ann was alive," said Haywood Fennell Sr, community member. “I can vividly recall seeing her at the library speaking to folks sometimes about how proud they were as changes were made making our library what it has become, a place worthy to honor the dedication and commitment of Sarah-Ann Shaw.”