Kansas City, Missouri ("KC") is the last major US city to have a street named after Martin Luther King Jr. This year, the KC City Council voted to rename a beloved historic boulevard that runs through a large swath of the black community to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Residents — many of whom are black and worried about the devaluing of their street — opposed the name change and started a petition to reverse it. Because sufficient signatures were gathered, an initiative to revert the name back to Paseo Boulevard will be on the city’s November ballot. A visit to three cities in different continents shows how King’s name signifies his legacy globally. Amsterdam, Netherlands — a small street, a popular park, and a statue bear his name. Dakar, Sénégal — the capital of this West African country has a boulevard bearing his name that curves the coastline. Memphis, Tennessee, the city where King was assassinated in 1968, — renamed a street in his honor only as recently as 2012, despite almost 900 roads of commemoration being renamed by that point. Despite how the KC vote goes in November, people will still be unpacking the street controversy and its impact on property values, prestige, and legacy by MLK Day 2020.
March 02, 2020 | KCUR 89.3
Voters Want To Return To The Paseo, So Kansas City Sets Its First Hearing On Alternate MLK Tribute
Kansas City has begun taking down Martin Luther King Boulevard signs after voters decided to reverse the renaming of Paso Boulevard after the civil rights leader.
January 17, 2020 | KCUR 89.3
What Kansas City Can Learn From Dakar, Amsterdam and Memphis About Naming Streets for MLK
More than 900 streets in the United States are named after King, as are another hundred elsewhere in the world.
December 30, 2019 | KCUR 89.3
Kansas City Isn't Likely To Swap MLK Signs For Paseo Until The Spring
Maggie Green, spokesperson for Kansas City, Missouri's Public Works Department, said the street signs will not go back up until spring 2020.
August 10, 2020 | General news
Pulitzer’s ‘Bringing Stories Home’ Initiative Continues Support of Local Reporting
The "Bringing Stories Home" reporting initiative continues to support and promote local newsrooms, strengthening community voices amid the COVID-19 pandemic.