Man of the Year Morehouse College Alumni Association.
Tributes to Butts poured in on social media.
“Rev. Butts was a major pillar in the Harlem community and is irreplaceable. He was a dominant faith and academic leader for decades,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. “We spoke as late as a couple of weeks ago about this work, as he was still fighting cancer. He will be tremendously missed.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called Butts “a man of substance and of values to whom the term ‘public service’ doesn’t begin to describe the impact he had on this city and this state.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered flags across all five boroughs to be lowered to half-staff.
The church will be holding viewings for the reverend on Thursday, November 3, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, November 4, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a homegoing celebration on Friday at 2 p.m.
Anyone wishing to pay tribute to Dr. Butts can do so at the church’s website.
Mourning across the city is underway, but the pain is nothing compared to the reverend’s family and the church community.