Bedford-Stuyvesant has always produced legends. Some became known far beyond Brooklyn, while others shaped lives so profoundly that their influence lives in our stories, our memories, and the way we move through the world. Dr. Frank “Mick” Mickens was one of those leaders. Although he passed away in 2009, his impact lives on in the thousands of students he guided and the community he fiercely protected. Today, we seek to honor him in the same spirit he honored us by co-naming Stuyvesant Avenue between Chauncy and Fulton Streets in his memory.
Dr. Mickens was a true son of Bed-Stuy. Born and raised in the community, he attended and taught in local public schools, building strong roots long before becoming the principal of Boys and Girls High School. His leadership resonated because it was grounded in the lived experience. He understood our culture, our challenges and our potential, and he used that to transform a struggling school into a place where young minds could grow and thrive.
In the 1990s, Boys and Girls High School faced serious obstacles. Dr. Mickens responded by providing structure, safety and love expressed through discipline. His rules, such as no flashy jewelry or clothing that made students targets, were not about control. They were about protection. For many of us, it was the first environment where we felt safe enough to let our guard down.
Before I entered Boys and Girls, I was insecure, angry and searching for identity. I had been robbed at gunpoint twice before turning fourteen, and I was headed down a path shaped by the mindset of how I will no longer be the victim. Under Dr. Mickens, I learned that I did not have to go down that path. His expectations, his refusal to let us settle for less, and his belief in our worth changed the direction of my life. Thousands of alums share that story.
When Dr. Mickens passed away, the grief spread throughout Bed-Stuy. Alums gathered around the school to mourn and reflect, a sign that his influence extended far beyond the classroom. It continues to grow in the choices we make that carry his work forward. Many of us became mentors, activists, educators, or community organizers because he showed us what leadership rooted in love, discipline, and accountability looks like.
His legacy is also reflected in our public art. Kenya “ArtOne” Lawton, a Boys and Girls alumnus, created the first mural honoring him in 2018. The recent revitalized mural by UncuttArt expands that tribute, showing Dr. Mickens surrounded by graduates whose lives reflect his teachings. It stands as a reminder that his impact was not momentary but generational.
More than 1,000 residents and alums have already signed a petition supporting the street co-naming. Community Board 3 is reviewing it now, and we hope to celebrate the naming around Dr. Mickens’s birthday in June.
This is not a symbolic gesture. Co-naming this block ensures that future generations learn the story of a leader who shaped this community from the inside out. It places a local hero alongside the historical figures our children study, such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. Mickens deserves to be recognized in that lineage, especially for the young people who still walk the same streets he once did.
Dr. Mickens taught us that each of us has a responsibility to uplift our community. Honoring him with a co-named street preserves his lessons and inspires the next generation to lead with the same courage, pride and dedication.
Vaughn “Buddha Chief” Jefferson is a community activist, humanist, and plant medicine advocate. He is an equity partner in Housing Works Cannabis Co., NoMad, and the founder of The C.U.R.E.-R.A.T.E.R. (Community Unification Resource Enterprise Revitalizing Awareness To Educate Righteousness), a nonprofit organization promoting mental wellness, health equity, and community transformation.
