More than a hundred people filled a stretch of West 138th Street in Harlem Sunday for a block party to celebrate the opening of Abyssinian Baptist Church’s new Dr. Calvin O. Butts III Educational and Cultural Center.
Food trucks, music, and even a bounce house for kids ran the length of street outside Abyssinian — where the massively influential Rev. Butts preached over more than 30 years — with prominent New Yorkers like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg giving remarks before the ribbon was cut on the sprawling new community center.
“Today is a blessed day, a blessed day. We gather to celebrate our friend an amazing man, a great servant of God, Dr. Calvin Butts III,” Schumer said at the cutting ceremony. “I was so proud to call Dr. Butts a colleague and a partner in our shared work to improve the lives of people in New York and in Harlem.
“When I had trouble, political or personal, he’s one of the first people I would call, and he would counsel me and give me advice and give me strength, and I’ll never forget that,” he added.
The brand new center stands five floors over West 138th and alongside the 100-year-old church — the congregation itself, a pillar of the Harlem community, is more than 200 years old — and contains classrooms, event spaces, lecture halls, and even a garden patio for the community to use.
Butts — who died in 2022 at 72 — long dreamed of opening such a space in the heart of Harlem, and Abyssinian’s leaders say the new center is a final realization of his work.
“This is the last part of Reverend Butts’ vision, opening the center. So in here, it’s not just going to be for our church, but it’s gonna be for the community,” said Rev. Kevin Johnson, who was personally mentored by Butts and now leads Abyssinian.
“We’ll have educational seminars, financial seminars, and where we will help people actually dream and fulfill their dreams,” he added. “Abyssinian has always been a part of the Harlem fabric, and this center is totally dedicated to making sure that Harlem stays alive.”
Butts first became a minister at Abyssinian in 1972, and stayed for more than 30 years until he became president of the State University of New York at Old Westbury on Long Island from 1999-2020.
During his time at Abyssinian he became known for his fierce advocacy of Harlem and black New Yorkers, and gained a reputation for a deft ability to work with politicians on both sides of the aisle to get what his community needed.
One of his proudest causes was preserving local housing for low-income neighbors, which was championed through the Abyssinian Development Corp. and has a legacy still felt today.
DA Bragg — who grew up going to Sunday school at Abyssinian and now teaches there — told the crowds Sunday how his high school service project was helping the church call real estate developers to see what could be done with the building next door, and that he could barely believe it was now their own community center.
“My heart is just overjoyed,” Bragg said, “Just to be here for this day, God is good.”
Butts’ wife and son Patricia and Calvin IV were also in attendance, and Calvin told how the ceremony fell on the 78th anniversary of his great grandparents 1947 wedding.
“This is a great day,” Calvin said, recalling how his father often talked about his hopes for the center. “I know that he would be extremely grateful to all of you for your support. And extremely hopeful for what this space means for our future.”
Patricia herself helped the center’s ribbon after all had spoken.
“To all of the Abyssinians, family and friends, let me say, thank you,” she said.
The post Harlem celebrates Abyssinian Church’s new community center in honor of legendary Rev. Calvin O. Butts III appeared first on New York Post.
