Family, neighbors and city officials packed into Nubian Square on Saturday as the Boston Public Library pulled the cover off a new sign, officially rebranding the Roxbury branch as the Shaw-Roxbury Branch. The ceremony honored Sarah-Ann Shaw, the WBZ television reporter and neighborhood activist who spent decades telling stories other outlets skipped and who died in March 2024 at age 90. The crowd of more than 100 turned the event into a block-style celebration, with music, memories and a lot of local pride.
The sign came down to cheers from a crowd of over 100 supporters, and Mayor Michelle Wu said the new name would ensure “generations of our young people will know who walked before them,” according to The Boston Globe. Relatives and longtime neighbors joined city officials on the steps, recalling Shaw’s relentless attention to neighborhood stories and her reputation as a mentor in the newsroom.
About Sarah-Ann Shaw
Shaw was a lifelong Roxbury resident who worked at WBZ-TV from 1969 through 2000, covering everything from the city’s school busing crisis to Dorchester housing hearings, according to WBUR. Colleagues remembered her as a community advocate who used local television to spotlight stories that might otherwise have been ignored.
How the name changed
The Boston Public Library’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the renaming at a June 18, 2025 meeting after public discussion, according to the Boston Public Library meeting minutes. The mayor’s office formally announced the proposal that same month and noted that the change follows the city’s process for renaming municipal buildings, per Boston.gov.
Neighborhood reaction
The decision also reopened a simmering debate over whether the building should instead carry the neighborhood name "Nubian," with some organizers arguing a district name would honor multiple leaders and better reflect local identity, as reported by The Boston Globe. The Globe noted that the branch was originally named for 17th-century governor Thomas Dudley, a history some activists have scrutinized for ties to the slave trade, and a number of residents pushed alternatives such as a "wall of honor" instead of renaming the entire building. The Bay State Banner reported both the praise for honoring Shaw and criticism over the level of community outreach and the process that led to the change.
What's next at the branch
The library plans to keep its neighborhood-focused programming going at the Shaw-Roxbury Branch and lists a dedication event along with other summer offerings on its calendar, according to the Boston Public Library. Staff say the new name will be woven into programs and outreach to connect Shaw’s legacy to the branch’s literacy and community services.
"She was a fierce advocate for the library and the neighborhood," BPL President David Leonard said during the renaming, according to Boston.gov. Officials said the change is meant to keep Shaw’s work visible for future generations and to reinforce the library’s role as a neighborhood hub.
