Family, friends, and civic leaders gathered on Friday, April 8, to co-name the intersection of Holly Avenue and Robinson Street for longtime Flushing resident and activist Sarah Whiting.
Sarah Whiting was born in North Carolina in 1916 and moved to Brooklyn at a young age. She eventually married Julius Whiting and moved to Flushing. They had one daughter, Carol Whiting.
A committed civic leader, she founded the Holly Civic Association and Flushing Democratic Club, as well as an after-school program at PS 24. She volunteered her time with the Concerned African Americans of Flushing, Flushing Hospital, the Flushing Branch of the NAACP, Community Board 7, and the 109th Precinct Community Council.
A deeply religious person, Sarah Whiting was also affiliated with Macedonia AME, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and First Baptist Church of Flushing. She passed away in July of 2017, six months shy of her 101st birthday.
“From founding the Holly Civic Association to establishing the Flushing Democratic Club to creating and running an after-school program at PS 24, as well as her volunteer work with a variety of local boards and councils, the legacy of Sarah Whiting will continue to impact the lives of Flushing residents for generations to come,” Councilwoman Sandra Ung said in a statement. “I want to congratulate her daughter Carol Whiting and the entire Whiting family on the dedication of ‘Sarah Whiting Way.’ It’s a well-deserved honor.”
Also in attendance were Congresswoman Grace Meng and former councilman Peter Koo.
