Chicago streetcorner renamed for Civil Rights leader Rev. Dr. Leon Finney
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Woodlawn streetcorner now bears the name of a longtime Chicago reverend and Civil Rights leader.
The corner of 63rd Street and Harper Avenue was renamed Friday as Rev. Dr. Leon D. Finney Jr. Way.
An honorary sign marks the spot, which sits in front of his family restaurant, Leon's Bar-B-Q & Grill at 1528 E. 63rd St.
Finney was the founder and pastor of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church. He made his name in the 1960s by fighting slum lords and opposing the University of Chicago's expansion plans in the Woodlawn neighborhood.
Finney helped build The Woodlawn Organization into one of the most influential community groups in Chicago.
Finney also served as a professor of African American Leadership Studies, and executive director of the African American Leadership Partnership at McCormick Theological Seminary.
He also taught at UChicago, the Lutheran School of Theology, the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Presbyterian College of Korea, and the Theological College of the Bahamas.
"We are thrilled to honor my father, a beloved piece of the fabric of Chicago and committed citizen of our great city with this incredible acknowledgement," Finney's daughter, Kristin Finney-Cooke, said in a news release.
