Station Plaza renamed in honor of Mamaroneck civil rights leaders M. Paul Redd and Orial Redd

Family, friends and local elected leaders gathered on Saturday at the Rye Metro-North Train Station to honor M. Paul Redd and his wife, Orial, for their activism and work toward equality.

In 1954, they were founding members of the Port Chester-Rye branch of the NAACP and heavily involved in community activism and organizations.

According to the city, the landmark discrimination case M. Paul Redd and his wife, Orial, brought when denied a Rye Colony garden apartment home in Rye led to the passage of the anti-discrimination legislation in New York called the Redd Bill in 1962. M. Paul Redd was the publisher and president of the Westchester County Press, the county’s sole African American owned newspaper for over 20 years and dedicated his life to public service in our community.

In honor of the Redds, Station Plaza at the Rye Metro-North Station has been renamed. They will also have a “Walk Rye History Panel” installed in their honor.

The event welcomed more than 100 people, including Rep. George Latimer and New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to share stories about both activists.