Dr. Marcella Maxwell: A Grand Farewell

Renowned educator, once Dean at Medgar Evers College, Commissioner of Human Rights for New York City and so many other distinguished positions an iconic community influencer.

Dr. Marcella Maxwell who died on March 21, 2024, at the age of 96.  was celebrated at a memorial service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, founded in 1808, Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest African American Baptist churches in the United States, Dr. Maxwell was a member for several decades.  Friday, April 5th, 2024, was a full day of celebration for a beloved community leader. It started at 9:30 am with a `White Rose’ ceremony of the Greater New York Links, each member dressed in all white recited the ceremonial narrative of the Links in unison in a farewell ceremony.

 The celebration continued at 10:45 when the Delta Sigma Theta Inc. Sorority of which Dr. Marcella has been a member for many years performed the Omega Omega service in black robes, a final rite of passage at the farewell service during the ceremony.  Soror Carla Harris sang a rendition of ` His Eye Is on The Sparrow’ in tribute to Marcella.

 The official service started at noon but throughout the morning attendees shared amongst themselves the wonderful stories about Dr, Maxwell and her impact on them and their lives, everyone had a story and complimented Dr. Maxwell.

 The church was full, and the New York Police Department closed off the street and cleared it to facilitate the movement of attendees arriving at the service and the flow of dignitaries attending the service at noon.

 The celebration of the “Golden Life’ of Marcella Maxwell continued with the service, a collection of pastors and ministers of religion attended some participating and many in the audience the invocation was done by the Reverend Rashad Raymond Moore, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York the prayer of comfort was by Roslyn M Brock, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP National Board of Directors.

Two beautifully rendered solos of `Ava Maria’ and ‘If I Can Help Somebody’ were well received by the congregation.

There were acknowledgments and resolutions from the various ministries at Abyssinian that Dr. Maxwell played an important role in, and they were all there to pay her tribute and recognition.

 Tributes were also delivered by a series of leaders within the community Debra Fraser-Howze founder and president of  Choose Healthy Life,  Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Leon W. Russell, Chair, of the NAACP National Board of Directors, Ethel Isaacs Williams, National President The Links Incorporated and several other individuals the political salutations came from honorable Charles Rangel former member of the US Congress who knew Marcella well and talked about her years of service to the community and the value that it brought to every one of us.

Eric Adams Mayor of New York City was also there and the spoke of how much Marcella meant to the city and how much she poured into him and to others in the city government.

 The honorable Hazel Dukes, the current President of the New York State chapter of the NAACP, spoke of Marcella as her friend for 67-plus years they partnered in the work they valiantly did together and shared a kind friendship. Dr. Dukes the president of the New York Conference of NAACP and a National Board Member and Civil Rights icon herself spoke of the years of working together with Marcella and the value it brought to her. Dr. Dukes told the congregation that Marcella in her final days was in the hospital doing work still making sure things that she planned would come to fruition, that was Marcella working to the very end.

 Grandson Vaughn Young and his wife spoke lovingly of his grandmother, how much he admired her and loved her, and how much she meant to him and his family. Her granddaughter Story Young sang a musical tribute.

Rev. S. Rashaad Hoggard did the eulogy, The Executive Minister considers himself a student of Dr. Maxwell’, a mentee, and an admirer. He talked about the early days when he met her at Medgar Evers College and the impact, she had on him and described her as one of the great Black women of this country for all that she has done and for her achievements and the many `firsts’ that she has achieved. She had worked with and for so many issues and movements, The Black Women’s Agenda through the Links, Delta Sigma Theta Inc., and various organizations, and was very active in the church and the church programs he felt that he had gotten so much from her not only him but the church, the community and the city and we can celebrate her knowing that God is with her.

 After the service families and friends gathered at the repass and the celebration continued into the evening with more stories of Marcella and her work and more celebration of what she has meant to so many in the audience so many in the city and people were just relaxed and felt proud to tell their own Dr. Marcella Maxwell story they were not in a hurry to depart from the gathering and what a celebration it was for a truly remarkable woman.