Street Naming Ceremony Being Held for Rev. Dr. Leon Finney
Rev. Dr. Leon Finney
Prolific Chicago Activist, Developer and Leader Celebrated
Ald. Desmond Yancy (5th) and the City of Chicago announced a street naming ceremony will be held 11 a.m., Friday, November 3, 2023, at 1528 E. 63rd St., (63rd and Harper) to honor the late iconic Chicago Son, Rev. Dr. Leon Finney, Jr., who was a prolific activist, developer, and civil rights leader.
The street is also the location of Finney’s family restaurant and southside staple, Leon’s Bar-B-Q & Grill.
“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,”
“Dr. Finney, Jr. was indeed a renaissance man. He believed in sustainable communities, but he knew that in order for our communities to be sustainable, they first had to be habitable. He worked tirelessly to revitalize communities socially and spiritually,” said Rev. Alan B. Conley, former Associate Pastor Metropolitan Community Church.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Rev. Finney was a minister, businessman and passionate community
organizer who was dedicated to the revitalization of urban
redevelopment. He was the founder and pastor of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church in Chicago.
Finney was also known for his association with The Woodlawn
Organization, a community development initiative in the Woodlawn
Neighborhood of Chicago. Rev. Dr. Finney was a father and grandfather, mentor to many and pillar in the Chicago community.
Rev. Finney earned an M.A. in Economics and Urban Community
Development from Goddard College; both an M.A. in Theological Studies; and a Doctor of Theology degree from McCormick Theological Seminary; and both an M.A. in Public Administration and a Doctoral in Public Administration degree from Nova University.
He has taught at the University of Chicago, Lutheran School of Theology, the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, Presbyterian College of Korea, and the Theological College of the Bahamas.
In 1993, Rev. Finney joined the staff of McCormick Theological Seminary as a professor of African American Leadership Studies and
Executive Director of the African American Leadership Partnership (AALP). Finney was also the Chairman and Principal for the Lincoln South Central Real Estate Group, Inc.
Born on July 7, 1938, in Louise, Mississippi, Rev. Dr. Finney was educated in Tennessee as well as Illinois. As a veteran of the United States Marines, he returned to Chicago after serving his country to a long career of business, community involvement and the ministry. He passed on September 4, 2020, leaving behind his loving family, devoted friends, and a generation of community leaders he inspired to carry on his legacy.
For more information on Rev. Finney, see:
The HistoryMakers – thehistorymakers.org;
Wikipedia – wikipedia.org
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