Posted on 01/12/2012 1:47:29 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis officials on Thursday approved naming a city street after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., nearly 44 years after the civil rights leader was killed in the city.
The 10 members of the Memphis and Shelby County Land Use Control Board voted unanimously to re-name a nine-block downtown stretch as Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue. Previously called Linden Avenue, it runs in front of the FedExForum, where the Memphis Grizzlies play their home games, and parallel to Beale Street, the famous tourist drag.
The street also runs near the Clayborn Temple, where King rallied with striking sanitation workers days before he was assassinated by James Earl Ray on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. King also led a march on Linden Avenue during the strike.
The city already had a section of Interstate 240 dedicated to King, but the naming of a prominent street in the city's tourist district is being seen as a symbol that the city is finally taking steps to heal the wound caused by the assassination
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I thought every major city in America had a steet in a dangerous part of town renames in honor of Dr. King.
Here in San Antonio we renamed Lord Road to MLK Dr. years ago.
Linden Street is becoming a dangerous area of Memphis to visit so renaming it MLK Ave is very appropriate.
I think it will end up on Microsoft’s new map.
In Baltimore, MLK Blvd is the dividing line between the not so bad and downright ugly parts of town. You don’t want to go west of MLK in that city.
Looks like crime is going to be going up on Linden Avenue in Memphis. Where’s Chris Rock when you need him?
The’ve had a MLK Expressway for years. This MLK Avenue is downtown near the Beale St. tourist district and I would say it’s a dangerous part of the city.
Jesse Jackson Ave is on the other side of town, but swears it’s right next to MLK.
Just like that, property values along that street dropped a significant amount.
Self-deleting any and all comments relating to all cities with streets name “MLK Blvd” here and now.
MLK Way in Seattle is right through a rough part of town.
I was with the family on Beale Street in 2008. In the daytime. Nice touristy area. But I could tell - I knew then - this was no place for families to be after dark.
"Roll 'em up!"
*sigh* when will the madness end!
Nearly every freaking street and school in America is already named after the guy, enough already.
“Noticing that plight, kids?”
This is a classic example of politicians never learning anything. If you look around the country it is obvious that nobody wants to live on any street named after MLK. Why would a municipality want to create an almost guaranteed blighted area?
“Do you think these guys know The Commodores?”
Seems like every liberal in the US is trying to out do the others by naming everything they can find after MLK.
Some towns with black middle- and upper- class residents don’t want them; they think it gives a false (and very negative) image of their neighborhoods. The problem is that most “Martin Luther King” streets are in dangerous toilets.
He told me about a couple of places and said, "You can go to [can't recall], have a nice meal and not worry about somebody trying to kick your ass. There's also [don't remember] where you can have a drink, listen to some good music, and not worry about somebody trying to kick your ass."
I couldn't be certain if the town was dangerous or if this guy was a trouble magnet. Perhaps a little of both.
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