By Jose Corpas
Former middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter now has a street named in his honor in Paterson, New Jersey. The highly-rated and feared title contender during the 1960s who scored wins over Hall of Famer Emile Griffith and future heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis, will also soon have a statue erected in his memory.
Carter, portrayed by Denzel Washington in the hit film, Hurricane, became a national story after being convicted along with his friend John Artis, of triple-murder in 1966. Many believed he was not guilty of the charges and that a miscarriage of justice had been committed. In 1975, Bob Dylan even wrote a song in his defense. After various appeals and an unsuccessful second trial in 1976, a writ of habeas corpus was granted in 1985. After almost 20 years of incarceration, Carter finally became a free man.
In a ceremony on Monday May 6th, First Ward Councilman Mike Jackson celebrated the street renaming of Hamilton Street between Grand and Ward Street to “Rubin Hurricane Carter and John Artis Way.”
The ceremony took place in front of the same courthouse where Carter and Artis were convicted.
“Today is an incredible day,” Jackson said. “Rubin Carter spent over 19 years behind bars, paying his debt to society. But let’s not overlook the struggles faced by John Artis. We’re honored to have Ms. Salaam, mother of New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, who was wrongly incarcerated as part of the Central Park Five. Also with us is Isaac Wright, who fought for his freedom and became an attorney. Let’s not forget the brothers from Paterson, like Eric Kelly, who spent 24 years behind bars. It’s crucial that we remember and acknowledge their struggles, ensuring they know they’re not forgotten.”
John Artis’ cousin, Ron Artis also spoke. “I’d like to express my gratitude to the Carter family and my own, knowing that Rubin and John are watching this event from heaven with joy and pride. What you see behind me is not just a photo of Rubin Carter and John Artis cuffed together, but also our families, bound together through those challenging years. Spiritually, we are now free. Thank you all for recognizing our journey. I’d also like to extend gratitude to the Ali family, especially Muhammad Ali, for their support. Thank you once, twice, and three times.”
The popular Carter was an aggressive, hard-hitting slugger, who was briefly ranked as the leading middleweight contender after defeating Griffith by a shocking first round knockout. He lost a close 15-round decision to middleweight champion Joey Giardello in his only shot at a world title in 1964. Carter remained a contender until his conviction.
The subject of a book, numerous articles, a documentary, and the film, Carter became a Canadian citizen after his release and worked for many years advocating for the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners. In 2012, he was diagnosed with cancer and given a few months to live. He outlived the doctor’s diagnosis by two years. In his final years, he lived with and was cared for by John Artis. The street naming ceremony took place on what would have been Hurricane Carter’s 87th birthday.
