How Dudley Square became Nubian Square, a hub of Black Boston

BOSTON — Nubian Square’s name recognizes a role the Roxbury commercial district held long before its official renaming: a gathering place for Black Boston, shaped by neighborhood businesses, transit connections and generations of residents.

The city approved replacing Dudley Square with Nubian Square on Dec. 19, 2019, after years of organizing. The campaign challenged a name associated with a colonial governor and proposed one that honored both an ancient African civilization and a family business that had helped celebrate Black culture locally.

The decision also exposed a geographic divide. In November’s nonbinding referendum, Roxbury voters supported the change, 1,986 to 957, while the proposal lost citywide, 46% to 54%, according to verified newsroom records. City officials said the neighborhood’s preference would guide their decision, Boston.com reported.

A commercial and cultural gathering place

Transportation helped make the square a neighborhood crossroads. Elevated train service reached Dudley station with its opening in 1901. The railway ceased operating there in 1987, and the square became known to later generations as a bus hub.

Roxbury resident Rufus J. Faulk recalled childhood train trips in GBH’s 2023 reporting, describing the bustle of arriving at the station and encountering familiar stores and neighbors. His memories placed the square at the heart of the city’s Black community.

That identity also lives in public art. At Washington Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, the Faces of Dudley mural on the Silver Slipper Cafe brings together images of Malcolm X and Melnea Cass with scenes of everyday neighborhood life, GBH reported.

A Nubian Notion supplied another enduring connection. Founded by Malik Abdal-Kallaq in 1962, the family enterprise included convenience stores and barbershops with an African-centered aesthetic, according to The Scope. Its flagship gift shop at Warren and Dudley streets remained a neighborhood anchor until closing in 2017.

The campaign for a different name

A 2016 celebration of the business at Hibernian Hall became a platform for the renaming effort. Sadiki Kambon and the Nubian Square Coalition introduced the initiative there, The Scope reported.

Advocates objected to honoring Thomas Dudley, a former Massachusetts Bay Colony governor. They argued that his role in establishing legal support for slavery made his name inappropriate for Roxbury’s main business district, according to The Scope and Boston.com.

The proposed replacement carried two meanings: recognition of A Nubian Notion’s local legacy and a connection to ancient Nubia in northeastern Africa. The Scope described Nubian achievements in commerce, architecture, agriculture and art as part of the heritage supporters wanted the name to emphasize.

Following the referendum, Boston’s Public Improvement Commission authorized the change. The transit station initially retained Dudley’s name, but by The Scope’s February 2021 account, the MBTA had also agreed to rename it Nubian Station.

Recognition and investment

The new name did not settle questions about the square’s economic future. GBH reported in 2023 that many Black-owned businesses were struggling after the pandemic. A 2020 American City Coalition finding put local median household income slightly above $41,000, roughly $30,000 below Boston’s overall figure.

Roxbury Main Streets Executive Director Robert George told GBH that businesses had not received the visitor traffic they hoped the 2023 NAACP convention would bring. Boston NAACP President Tanisha Sullivan pointed to longstanding underinvestment, while the branch had arranged a square tour and consulted community members during planning. Their accounts highlighted a continuing distinction between celebrating Nubian Square’s cultural importance and strengthening its commercial base.