Cherry Street has officially been renamed Lusia Harris Stewart Street in honor of one of Leflore County’s greatest athletes.
The new sign at the intersection of the former Cherry Street and Sycamore Avenue was unveiled Tuesday with family and friends of the late Harris-Stewart coming together at the intersection for the unveiling.
Harris-Stewart, known to many as “Lucy,” died at the age of 66 in January, only weeks before “The Queen of Basketball,” a documentary about her life, earned an Academy Award.
“A legend lived among us,” Ward 4 Greenwood City Councilman Charles McCoy said to the assembly. McCoy pushed to have the street where Harris-Stewart resided for many years named in her honor.
More than three dozen people were in attendance for the unveiling of the sign. Many of them knew Harris-Stewart from church or college or as neighbors.
Born in Minter City, Harris-Stewart played basketball at Amanda Elzy High School and Delta State University. She was the only Black player on the Delta State team.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall, she averaged 25 points a game at DSU and led the team to three consecutive national championships.
At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, she scored the first points in the first women’s basketball game in Olympic history and went on to win the silver medal with her team.
She was also the only woman to be drafted by an NBA team, the New Orleans Jazz, though she declined to pursue that path.
She went on to be a coach and teacher throughout the Mississippi Delta, including at Amanda Elzy High School and Greenwood High School.
“We have so many fond memories of her growing up on this street,” said Crystal Washington, one of Harris-Stewart’s four children. “It was so good to see some of our childhood friends and our neighbors. This really takes the cake. I’m not sure I can put into words how much I know this means to her and how much this means to our family.”
State Sen. David Jordan lauded Harris-Stewart as an example of someone who succeeded because of the kind of person she was.
“In years to come, someone will ask, ‘What is the meaning of this sign? Who is this person?’” Jordan said. “And you can say, ‘This is the greatest female basketball player in the world.’”
Renaming the street took several months because of the legal hurdles required, including proper notification to postal and billing services.
McCoy said he spoke with Harris-Stewart shortly before her death and let her know the city planned to name Cherry Street after her.
“She was so excited about it,” he said. “I wish she was here to see this day. But I know from up above, her spirit is with us now. She’s with us in spirit.”
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
