Street Co-Naming Ceremony to Honor Staten Island Cultural Icon Sajda Musawwir Ladner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Information:
Lorna Harris
lharris@utasi.org
917-825-4959
SEPTEMBER 21, 2025
Staten Island, NY (August 7, 2025).
The Office of Council member Kamillah Hanks in partnership with Universal Temple of the Arts (UTA), is proud to announce a street co-naming ceremony in honor of the late Sajda Musawwir Ladner, visionary founder and former Artistic-Executive Director of UTA. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Jersey Street and Scribner Avenue—the heart of the community she nurtured for decades.
A reception will follow at Universal Temple of the Arts, located at 425 Jersey Street where community members, artists and civic leaders will gather to celebrate her legacy through music, stories and remembrance.
“Sajda Musawwir Ladner was more than a cultural leader—she was a force of nature whose artistic vision and commitment to community shaped the soul of Staten Island,” said Council member Kamillah Hanks. “It is only fitting that we honor her name on the very street where her work uplifted generations of families, artists, and youth. Her impact is indelible, and this co-naming ensures her presence remains rooted in the neighborhood she loved so deeply.”
For over five decades, Sajda brought world-class performances, arts education, and cultural enrichment to Staten Island’s North Shore. From launching the Staten Island JAZZ Festival to creating arts programs for youth and seniors alike, her work transformed lives and broadened opportunities for underrepresented voices in the arts.
The ceremony serves as a tribute to her life’s work and a recommitment to the values she embodied: creativity, equity, and joyful expression for all.
About Universal Temple of the Arts
Founded in 1969, Universal Temple of the Arts (UTA) is a Staten Island-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts as a tool for personal and community transformation. UTA’s programming spans music, dance, visual arts, and education, engaging youth, adults, and seniors in culturally enriching experiences.
