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Coventina

(26,874 posts)
Wed Nov 6, 2019, 09:58 AM Nov 2019

Kansas City votes to remove Martin Luther King's name from historic street [View all]

Source: NBC News

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved removing Dr. Martin Luther King's name from one of the city's most historic boulevards, less than a year after the city council decided to rename The Paseo for the civil rights icon.

Unofficial results showed the proposal to remove King's name received nearly 70 percent of the vote, with just over 30 percent voting to retain King's name.

The debate over the name of the 10-mile boulevard on the city's mostly black east side began shortly after the council's decision in January to rename The Paseo for King. Civil rights leaders who pushed for the change celebrated when the street signs went up, believing they had finally won a decades-long battle to honor King, which appeared to end Kansas City's reputation as one of the largest U.S. cities without a street named for him.

But a group of residents intent on keeping The Paseo name began collecting petitions to put the name change on the ballot and achieved that goal in April.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kansas-city-votes-remove-martin-luther-king-s-name-historic-n1077081



I have been advised that this action should not be perceived as racist.
I acknowledge that I do not live there and was unaware of the surrounding issues.
I am therefore removing my prior personal statement.

I appreciate the DUers that have provided the background information.
62 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I hope KC becomes persona-non-grata on the world stage... Dennis Donovan Nov 2019 #1
Why? It's a progressive city. AkFemDem Nov 2019 #3
A "progressive city"? That voted to remove Dr King from their street signs? Dennis Donovan Nov 2019 #5
What you're ignoring... AkFemDem Nov 2019 #9
A Paseo is a Mexican city? a la izquierda Nov 2019 #44
Paseo is not a name for a Mexican city whopis01 Nov 2019 #62
And maybe take a minute to look at the other elections there last night AkFemDem Nov 2019 #12
Thank you. jayschool2013 Nov 2019 #15
one does not "jump to assumptions" lapfog_1 Nov 2019 #40
Kansas City is far from progressive dlk Nov 2019 #23
I'm sorry... I grew up in KC... it is FAR from progressive. lapfog_1 Nov 2019 #39
That's certainly a measured and rational response SCantiGOP Nov 2019 #11
What? Dennis Donovan Nov 2019 #28
KC, die a slow death economically... LenaBaby61 Nov 2019 #16
Martin Luther King Blvd. is in Missouri, as is the largest portion of s Kansas City dlk Nov 2019 #25
Not Kansas, not Kansas, not Kansas Pmc1962 Nov 2019 #50
What the hell has Kansas crap got to do with Missouri? AncientGeezer Nov 2019 #51
Nothing apparently. dware Nov 2019 #52
Not exactly. AkFemDem Nov 2019 #2
The name change for Dr. King was the result of decades of struggle by civil rights leaders. Coventina Nov 2019 #6
If the city had followed their regular process the decision would have had more support. pnwmom Nov 2019 #13
I'm not familiar with what happened but am I correct in assuming that cstanleytech Nov 2019 #34
That's exactly Rebl2 Nov 2019 #45
Have you ever been in KC? MuseRider Nov 2019 #18
I appreciate the additional information. It is true that I am reacting based on my personal Coventina Nov 2019 #22
Oh I totally get that. MuseRider Nov 2019 #27
Yes - with all the McCain stuff lately people forget his MLK positions ArizonaLib Nov 2019 #30
Mostly steps forward this election day. A few backwards. mpcamb Nov 2019 #4
I agree ArizonaLib Nov 2019 #31
The person I know there who opposed the name change is black and a strong progressive pnwmom Nov 2019 #7
This is not racist. MuseRider Nov 2019 #8
Thanks for the info! I am now educated on the issue! bronxiteforever Nov 2019 #14
Yes -- that was also my impression from the FB page of a black friend of mine there. nt pnwmom Nov 2019 #17
Thank you jayschool2013 Nov 2019 #19
This message was self-deleted by its author bronxiteforever Nov 2019 #10
I wonder how voters in New Orleans would react... AkFemDem Nov 2019 #20
Here's another point of view, pnwmom Nov 2019 #21
There is a street here in Austin called Manchaca. christx30 Nov 2019 #36
A similar reaction to Philadelphia changing part of Delaware Ave DeminPennswoods Nov 2019 #24
As with anything, context is important. Quackers Nov 2019 #26
Exactly MuseRider Nov 2019 #29
Not a racist move bellmartin Nov 2019 #32
I was raised in the Metropolitan part of Kansas City and Troost is only a few blocks away chowder66 Nov 2019 #38
Well, this has been an embarrassing thread brooklynite Nov 2019 #33
You can say that again. Embarrassing! SaintLouisBlues Nov 2019 #47
I think KC is way past due to name a major street for MLK. Note that KC is not like much of MO hlthe2b Nov 2019 #35
I no longer live in Missouri. This is not my fight. mnhtnbb Nov 2019 #56
"Everyone's full of shit in Kansas City! They've got about as fer as they kin go!" Aristus Nov 2019 #37
OOOOOklahoma! MuseRider Nov 2019 #43
I lived in a small town north of Kansas City for 6 years--St. Joseph, MO--which is really right wing mnhtnbb Nov 2019 #41
Surely, if you live there you would know that most of Kansas City is in MO, but not all. hlthe2b Nov 2019 #48
Thank you for clarifying my post. Yes, there is a Kansas City, KS mnhtnbb Nov 2019 #49
Perhaps you missed this from my earlier post hlthe2b Nov 2019 #53
No, I did not miss it. mnhtnbb Nov 2019 #54
See my post #35 hlthe2b Nov 2019 #55
Dumb, and disappointing... Blue_Tires Nov 2019 #42
The only person I know in Kansas city is a black progressive pnwmom Nov 2019 #46
You know that, do you? brooklynite Nov 2019 #58
Am I to understand that Blue_Tires Nov 2019 #59
The point is that there's normally a process the change Street names and they didn't follow it... brooklynite Nov 2019 #61
There are deeper issues than renaming a street. mnhtnbb Nov 2019 #57
K&R real Cannabis calm Nov 2019 #60
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