Across the U.S., Streets Named After Martin Luther King Jr. Remain a Battleground for Equality
Roads that honor the civil rights icon get a bad rap, but is it rightfully earned?
Roads that honor the civil rights icon get a bad rap, but is it rightfully earned?
Melvin White remembers exactly where he was when the idea came to him.
"I was a mail carrier, so I’m delivering mail on the street and thought, ‘Wow, this doesn’t make sense,’" he says. "Abandoned buildings, drugs being sold. This is a really bad street. You look at the name on the street sign and I was like, ‘This does not correlate with what he stood for.’"
A dilapidated building sits on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis, Missouri. Scenes like this inspired Melvin White to found Beloved Streets of America, a nonprofit organization aiming to revitalize the street and surrounding areas.
Courtesy of Melvin White
That "he" is Martin Luther King Jr., for whom hundreds of streets nationwide are named after. In White’s hometown of St. Louis, Dr. Martin Luther King Drive cuts through a neighborhood that’s seen better days. Formerly Easton Avenue, it was once a bustling business district in the first half of the 20th century. Boutiques, restaurants, and department stores like J.C. Penney and Woolworth used to dot the busy avenue.
Today, the glossy department stores are gone, replaced with vacant buildings and lots. Some commercial development has come to the area, but it’s been a slow trickle over the last two decades or so.
An archival image shows Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis in May 1972.
St. Louis Post Dispatch / Polaris
But White is on a self-bestowed mission to recapture the activity and energy the area was once known for. In 2009, inspired by his walks and drives around the community, he established Beloved Streets of America, which aims to counteract the urban decline of communities surrounding the streets named after King and provide a positive environment for local residents.
"Our vision is that every street in America that bears Dr. King’s name is vibrant, beautiful, and a prosperous community," says White.
Courtesy of Melvin White
See the full story on Dwell.com: Across the U.S., Streets Named After Martin Luther King Jr. Remain a Battleground for Equality
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