Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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kcjak
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by kcjak »

flyingember wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 1:59 pm
smh wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:40 am I was really hoping for Nichols Road.
I was hoping for Troost. It's named after an actual slave holder.
And would replace the name of a street that's synonymous with segregation in KC.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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kcjak wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 2:25 pm
flyingember wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 1:59 pm
smh wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:40 am I was really hoping for Nichols Road.
I was hoping for Troost. It's named after an actual slave holder.
And would replace the name of a street that's synonymous with segregation in KC.
I don't disagree with anything you guys are saying. I just don't think the goal was to choose a street that needed rebranding - like Troost or Prospect. Maybe those would be overall better candidates for a name change. However, not sure they are the best candidates when "honoring" someone like Dr. King. Instead, that community chose a beautiful boulevard located completely on the East side. I get it.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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WSPanic wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 3:20 pm
kcjak wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 2:25 pm
flyingember wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 1:59 pm

I was hoping for Troost. It's named after an actual slave holder.
And would replace the name of a street that's synonymous with segregation in KC.
I don't disagree with anything you guys are saying. I just don't think the goal was to choose a street that needed rebranding - like Troost or Prospect. Maybe those would be overall better candidates for a name change. However, not sure they are the best candidates when "honoring" someone like Dr. King. Instead, that community chose a beautiful boulevard located completely on the East side. I get it.
Well I'd rather change the name of a street named after a long forgotten Kansas Citian like Troost rather than lose an evocative historical street name that hearkens back to Kansas City's involvement in the City Beautiful Movement in the 1920's. I am wondering if the insistence on Paseo and especially the timing has anything to do with gentrification in the Beacon Hill areas?
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by flyingember »

The Paseo is named after the street in Mexico City that's named after the Mexican struggle to have a modern, liberal (for 1860) government. We renamed a street named after a political struggle for one named for the leader of a political struggle.

It's name has nothing to do with the city beautiful movement.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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flyingember wrote: Sun Jan 27, 2019 5:07 pm The Paseo is named after the street in Mexico City that's named after the Mexican struggle to have a modern, liberal (for 1860) government. We renamed a street named after a political struggle for one named for the leader of a political struggle.

It's name has nothing to do with the city beautiful movement.
It has everything to do with the City Beautiful Movement. That was the inspiration of the city's boulevard system and The Paseo was the crown jewel. The Paseo wasn't just conceived in a vacuum - it was very definitely part of the movement and it would not have ever existed otherwise. And it wasn't just named after the street in Mexico city either, it was designed specifically to look like Mexico City's Paseo. If any street in KC should maintain it's original name, The Paseo is that street as it actually has a tangible link to the entity it was named after.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by TheLastGentleman »

The Paseo is probably the most City Beautiful thing in this city besides Union Station. Especially when it had more colonnade style buildings along it.

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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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The History Behind The Paseo, One Of Kansas City's First Boulevards

By Suzanne Hogan • May 23, 2017

https://www.kcur.org/post/history-behin ... s#stream/0

History Of Paseo Boulevard

By Gina Kaufmann & Suzanne Hogan • May 18, 2017

https://www.kcur.org/post/history-paseo-boulevard
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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WE WILL SURVIVE.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by tower »

It'll help with the book someone is probably currently writing entitled: "Weird and Nonsensical Naming History of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers Confluence Region"
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by WSPanic »

Highlander wrote: Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:50 pm
WSPanic wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 3:20 pm
kcjak wrote: Fri Jan 25, 2019 2:25 pm

And would replace the name of a street that's synonymous with segregation in KC.
I don't disagree with anything you guys are saying. I just don't think the goal was to choose a street that needed rebranding - like Troost or Prospect. Maybe those would be overall better candidates for a name change. However, not sure they are the best candidates when "honoring" someone like Dr. King. Instead, that community chose a beautiful boulevard located completely on the East side. I get it.
Well I'd rather change the name of a street named after a long forgotten Kansas Citian like Troost rather than lose an evocative historical street name that hearkens back to Kansas City's involvement in the City Beautiful Movement in the 1920's. I am wondering if the insistence on Paseo and especially the timing has anything to do with gentrification in the Beacon Hill areas?
What does the "Paseo" name itself have to do with the City Beautiful Movement? We're not removing the boulevard - just renaming it. Besides, wasn't the City Beautiful movement a reaction to tenement housing and poor living conditions in the city? Seems like The Paseo is kind of a failure in that sense. While it is a lovely boulevard - it is wholly located in the most segregated part of our city. A reminder of Civil Rights there seems kind of fitting in a way. Anyway, what's done is done.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by FangKC »

If you read the history linked above, you will learn that The Paseo's design is modeled on the Paseo de la Reforma, in Mexico City, and thus why it took that name. The name was picked by the first President of the Parks Board, August R. Meyer, working with the boulevard designer, George Kessler. It has had that name for more than 120 years. The boulevard was placed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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FangKC wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 2:50 pm If you read the history linked above, you will learn that The Paseo's design is modeled on the Paseo de la Reforma, in Mexico City, and thus why it took that name. The name was picked by the first President of the Parks Board, August R. Meyer, working with the boulevard designer, George Kessler. It has had that name for more than 120 years. The boulevard was placed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name.
Yeah. I read it. I like the Paseo name, but it still has zero KC-specific heritage. Meyer has a street. Kessler has a street. No reason their boondoggle to Mexico has to be memorialized forever with a stolen street name.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by AlbertHammond »

WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:02 pm I like the Paseo name, but it still has zero KC-specific heritage. Meyer has a street. Kessler has a street. No reason their boondoggle to Mexico has to be memorialized forever with a stolen street name.
Because MLK came to KC when?
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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AlbertHammond wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:24 pm
WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:02 pm I like the Paseo name, but it still has zero KC-specific heritage. Meyer has a street. Kessler has a street. No reason their boondoggle to Mexico has to be memorialized forever with a stolen street name.
Because MLK came to KC when?
I offer a simple counter to the idea that we should be sitting Shiva and rending garments for "The Paseo" street name and you claim that I said MLK visited KC? Weird.

I guess you win. Since MLK never visited KC, then we shouldn't ever change the name of The Paseo. Perfect internet logic.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

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AlbertHammond wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:24 pm
WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:02 pm I like the Paseo name, but it still has zero KC-specific heritage. Meyer has a street. Kessler has a street. No reason their boondoggle to Mexico has to be memorialized forever with a stolen street name.
Because MLK came to KC when?
1968 (At least to KCK) Martin Luther King Jr. stopped by Kansas in January of 1968 to speak with a number of leaders from throughout Wyandotte County
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by AlbertHammond »

WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:54 pm
AlbertHammond wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:24 pm
WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:02 pm I like the Paseo name, but it still has zero KC-specific heritage. Meyer has a street. Kessler has a street. No reason their boondoggle to Mexico has to be memorialized forever with a stolen street name.
Because MLK came to KC when?
I offer a simple counter to the idea that we should be sitting Shiva and rending garments for "The Paseo" street name and you claim that I said MLK visited KC? Weird.

I guess you win. Since MLK never visited KC, then we shouldn't ever change the name of The Paseo. Perfect internet logic.
Only that a Mexican Paseo is as "KC" as MLK is. Both are influences in some way, but neither are directly related to KC. At least "The Paseo" has earned a century-plus as a historic cornerstone of our boulevard system.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by WSPanic »

AlbertHammond wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:31 pm
WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:54 pm
AlbertHammond wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:24 pm

Because MLK came to KC when?
I offer a simple counter to the idea that we should be sitting Shiva and rending garments for "The Paseo" street name and you claim that I said MLK visited KC? Weird.

I guess you win. Since MLK never visited KC, then we shouldn't ever change the name of The Paseo. Perfect internet logic.
Only that a Mexican Paseo is as "KC" as MLK is. Both are influences in some way, but neither are directly related to KC. At least "The Paseo" has earned a century-plus as a historic cornerstone of our boulevard system.
I hear you. I just think that a lot of people living on and around The Paseo would disagree as to the relevance of the two names in their lives. Regardless of original ties to KC.

Like I said- I'm a fan of "The Paseo" name and did think of it as a KC thing. I just don't care enough about it to be the least bit upset when some people in the community want a change.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by shinatoo »

Dont worry, we're going to build a big beautiful long Paseo, and Mexico is going to pay for it.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by FangKC »

There are other things to consider.

Councilwoman Canady, who represents The Paseo, indicated that the majority of residents who live on it are opposed to the name change. Councilman Wagner said he walked The Paseo to talk to residents and discovered that many were unaware the name change was being discussed. Both council members complained that the City's official process had not been followed.

A city ordinance requires that 75 percent of residents living on the street being considered for a name change must consent. That ordinance was ignored.

Wagner also pointed out that there has been a city park honoring Dr. King since 1978, so the idea that Kansas City had done nothing to honor Dr. King was incorrect.

https://kcparks.org/places/king-martin- ... jr-square/

Mayor James also formed a citizens commission to hold public hearings to study the matter and make recommendations. Based on feedback from residents the commission recommended that the new airport terminal was the preferred choice. There didn't appear to be any widespread opposition to that choice.

Without giving consent, Paseo residents will have to change voter registration, kids' school files, addresses on driver's licenses, bank accounts, print new checks, credit cards, utility addresses, mortgage statements, any loans, titles on property and cars, insurance policies, magazine subscriptions, social security and Medicare, investments, pensions, refile paperwork for Section 8 housing, food stamps, WIC, and Medicaid, employee records for taxes, doctors and hospital records for billing, as well as updating their mailing address with the three big credit bureaus.

There are residents living in Riverview Gardens public housing on the north end of The Paseo that are new-immigrants, and refugees, that don't speak English well yet. They barely have learned to navigate life here, and they will have to have someone help them update all their personal records--including immigration.

They will have to pay fees for reprinting checks, issuing new driver's licenses, and new title and registration fees.

Some of these residents have the lowest incomes in our city, or are on fixed incomes. Some are barely scraping by. Some go to food banks because they don't have the money to eat all month. Some go without eating the last few days of the month already. They have trouble paying their electric and water bills. Some of their kids don't have proper coats for winter. Many don't have home computers, or an internet connection, and use those at the public library.

They will have to pay fees to update records. Money some of them don't have. A household with four licensed drivers will pay $108.60 to get duplicate cards made. Then there are additional fees to change titles on property, and update vehicle registrations.

Some of them are senior citizens and might need someone to help them update everything.

None were asked to give their consent.

I can only imagine how many records a business would have to change.
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Re: Black leaders seek to rename Paseo to MLK Blvd

Post by TheLastGentleman »

So..is there a chance that the change could be cancled?
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