agreed, except for mlk. at one time it did have a connection to the community. although that's where the black panthers were located and the riots in the 60s were so maybe it should be changed to huey newton blvd.

Amy—I don't really follow your logic here, aside from agreeing that street name changes are a pain in the short term (we got that whole Naito/Front thing down pretty well).

For one, I don't understand what sort of connection you're looking for between the actual street and the person it's named after. Residency? We have a Lincoln, a Washington, (a Mayor Quimby)—and those don't seem controversial.

And using our "status" as America's whitest city to excuse ourselves from making the change seems terribly wrong-headed to me. Like "Arizona not honoring MLK Day until 1992" wrong-headed.

I agree that a community center or something more productive would be better, but to decide not to name two streets after civil rights leaders because they're not from here, and because we're lilly-white... I'm just not seeing your reasoning.

I'm not making the case that it should be the reason to say no—I'm saying I get the sense that white guilt is propelling the approval of changes that otherwise really don't have a compelling case, which is a really unfortunate reason for changing a street name.

I think there should be some guidelines for street names. Traditionally in PDX, most (like Naito, and the alphabet streets) are named for local figures, which seems like the perfect standard. Exceptions for the top tier of national figures—presidents, MLK—seem inevitable. I still don't like renaming streets to begin with, but if we have to, I'd rather we go the opposite direction... let's rename Lincoln for someone locally relevant.

There was a piece in the NY Times last year, I believe, about the commodification of Rosa Parks since she's died (t-shirts with busses on them, etc). It strikes me that suddenly renaming a street for her or Chavez is essentially the same thing. A psuedo-memorial that really doesn't mean much.

I've been struck by the order of the renaming suggestions, mainly because I grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and the movement there to change major street names to honor civil rights followed a similar path to Portland's. About 15 years ago, Logan Street became MLK Blvd. Then another major street became Cesar Chavez Dr, and now there's talk of changing another street name to Rosa Parks. And that's funny... no talk of changing any street to Malcom X Blvd, even though he grew up just outside the city!

Lansing is not lily-white, so the dynamics are not exactly the same as in Portland, but it still reads to me as a surface change, when under the surface the pattern of racism & ghetto-izing remains. It's a token effort to placate communitites that are rightfully pissed off and under-represented, and this effort would be better used to actually address those concerns.

Maybe it's step one to dealing with those concerns, but I am skeptical.

That's why the "change" for King County up in WA was so easy. Same name, very different inspiration. From William Rufus King (vice prez and pro-slavery butthead) to Martin Luther King. What an odd world it is sometimes.

"It's a token effort to placate communitites that are rightfully pissed off and under-represented, and this effort would be better used to actually address those concerns."

That's what I'm trying to say. Thank you for phrasing it better!

And God forbid you're a business who opposes this useless crap that actually cost you money...

So what do you think it means that my city, Memphis -- which, I'm sure everyone remembers, is the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated -- is one of the few cities I've lived in that has no road named after MLK? Especially considering Memphis is a predominantly black city?

I'm still trying to figure that one out.

(We did have a section of freeway ten years ago or so that was declared to be "MLK Expressway," but it has been subsequently renamed for some less pivotal local figure.)

So if these communities that are so "under-represented" would like to have a total of three streets in the city named for their cultural heroes who helped knock down centuries of institutional racism, we'd be doing them a favor by denying their request? That'll demonstrate that we care about their under-representation.

I don't hear anybody here saying "We should do [this] for these communites." (By which we're presumably inferring the African American community for Rosa Parks and the Mexican American community for Cesar Chavez.) All I'm hearing is "We shouldn't name these streets after civil rights workers."

Sweet. Can we get a street renamed for a Chinese-American civil rights leader? Wait, there are none. Crap.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out."

Go speak to Mayor Willie Herenton and the 15 other African-American political morons taking bribes from the FBI/spouting off conspiracy theories and generally running ("my city" also) Memphis into the ground while people (black, white and indifferent) bitch and moan and refrain from voting...and move away to suburbs or further (guilty as charged).

I don't know which is more embarrassing truly: Token street names or a frighteningly endemic lack of concern.

"Can we get a street renamed for a Chinese-American civil rights leader?"

Doc Ing Hay and Lung On of John Day Oregon operated a general store, "Kam Wah Chung", and provided health care to Chinese and others in the area. Just do a search. But maybe it is time to go to the Chinese community here to involve them. Should we rename 82nd Avenue? China is the future.

N Interstate needs a name change. There is an actual interstate highway and then there's a street called Interstate? I doubt I was the only person that got lost their first time up in North Portland because of this confusion. Change it to whatever you want but change it quick. Chavez works for me. You say it doesn't do anything but if one kid asks their mom who Cesar Chavez is and that mom has to go look it up because she doesn't know, isn't that enough of a positive benefit to justify a stupid street name? Are there really people in Portland who are going to argue "oh we gave them there own street, what more do those whiny Mexicans want?" Change the name AND help the community in other ways. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

It's time to have this thing re-examined, I think.

I was for the renaming of Union to MLK. I thought the comments that the name change would bring some good to the area and, even though the name Union had some history it was so generic to me that it held no emotional attraction.

The biggest thing the MLK renaming had going for it was that the loudest champions for keeping the Union label on were Walter and Rosalie Huss, ultraconservatives (back before it was cool to be that way around here) who had more than the whiff of racism.

In the wake of that brouhaha I recall that the City instituted strict rules and a process to follow when considering changing a street name in Portland. I was disillusioned by the whole thing when the City seemed to be breaking its own rules in a madcap rush to rename Front Avenue to Naito Parkway.

I have nothing against the Naito family, but saying "down on Naito" versus "down on Front" is only now starting to lose its bizarre ring for me.

Now we have Portland Boulevard being renamed to Rosa Parks Way, and now they want to rename Interstate Avenue after Cesar Chavez? Why not a park or something?

In the case of Portland Boulevard I rather thought it was funky and cool to have Portland name a self-contained street after itself. As far as Interstate goes, it is part of Portland history–formerly Patton Avenue, it was named because it became the city-center connection to the Interstate Bridge crossing (though the street that actually linked to the bridge was Denver Avenue).

The biggest impression I'm getting is one of a sort of condescension. It's really beginning to look as though all we feel we have to do to redress a cultural grievance is to rename a major street in a distressed area of town after a famous minority icon and it's job done.

So we erase a little bit of Portland history in favor of a patronizing street renaming. Better we should leave the street names alone and actually change the social fabric of our town–but that's a hell of a lot harder.

Gee, Jumbo, we realize it is complicated-
Interstate the street being called "Interstate Avenue" and the freeway being called "I-5" and all, but it's never been that difficult to distinguish between the two.
But be careful, next time you're chewing gum and walking around N. PDX and someone says, "Take Willamette,"
they probably mean the Blvd. and not the river.

Going south from the Taco Bell on MLK, with a right turn onto Rosa Parks Way, and then a left on Cesar Chavez, just to visit to the Taco Bell near Skidmore, would be an empathy enema that's emblematic of something or another.

Recently I overheard someone from Texas (at least it seemed that way from the twang in her elderly voice) calling for a cab at the corner of NE Mason and LBJ.

Hee-lair-ee-us!

huh. I live in Overlook and this is the first time I have heard of it. Where can we give public input on the name change?

Thanks.

We have not heard about it until now, even though it now comes out that some group has been working on it for months. Why? Because they work behind the scenes to line up support at City Hall and by the time the word gets out to us little people (who actually live here and pay the taxes), it is a done deal. Note that just like Rosa Parkway and MLK, the re-naming always happens in a "depressed" neighborhood of N/NE - why not rename some mundane street such as Macadam (named after a type of paving material for God's sake), or Broadway. Oh wait, I almost forgot, those streets are on the good side of the river.

How about this: if you want to rename a major arterial in a given area, you ask the people who live there what they would like to see replacing the current street name. Give us a range of possibilities and let us vote on it. We live here too, and we deserve a say.

I think it's bull because come on now if a minority group wants to be represent on a street they get it. It should best represent everyone. If we keep naming streets after civil leaders whats goin to stop different minority groups i.e jews, irish, middle easterns, asians, russians, pacific islanders, etc. wanting a name change? Because Irish, Jews, Asians, etc. all got screwed over too not just africans and currently Mexicans. I havent even heard of Cesar E Chavez Boulevard.

MLK is no biggie but some people might think he just represents African Americans. But he was a big impact and changed a lot of things and by naming Union MLK they were tryin to convince everyone particularly africans to move in on mlk and minoriTIES to open businesses and to fix the street and clean it up.

So sorry to double post but MLK represented Minorities and Poor White Sanitation workers so yes he deservers a street named after him.

But then again they are goin by a theme in the hood I live in naming each mayjor street after civil rights leaders. Im sort of in a box Rosa Parks, MLK, Chavez, Lombard(who's next wong chin)

The desire to commemorate people in our history who have changed our lives for the better is noble. The question that needs to be asked is: Should the implementation of that desire be noble as well?

The latest trend used for such commemorations is to re-name streets, and there are City of Portland and Multnomah County ordinances (laws) governing street re-naming. These are well-reasoned, democratic laws that guarantee citizen involvement. Unfortunately, these laws have been repeatedly waived (erased) by our mayor and city council which effectively denies the residents of the streets to be re-named adequate notice or opportunity to participate in a legal and democratic process. This was done with Front Street (Naito Parkway), Portland Blvd (Rosa Parks Way) and may happen yet again with the re-naming of Interstate Avenue to Ceasar Chavez Blvd.

The dismaying end result of this is that instead of acting as the guardians and enforcers of our laws, our mayor and city council have become the fox guarding the henhouse in a will-built-to-suit, git er done method of lawmaking that takes away citizen's rights for appeal or recourse. Apparently citizen input and involvement is only available when the city council and mayor are vote-seeking.

The precedent has been set for the mayor and city council to continue to erase our rights until we make them stop and force them to observe our (as well as their) laws. Taking this action will not mitigate or end the desire to honor our heroes. Instead it will actually serve to take away the taint of improper proceedings that could overshadow and undermine the entire process.

To acknowledge our heroes and to honor diversity is a wonderful sentiment, how we go about doing it should be an important decision that everyone should be allowed to participate in. After all, it is the law.

Why is North Portland frequently the target for renaming streets with the exception of the previous Front Ave to Naito Parkway? Having lived in North Portland all of my nearly 23 years I understand and embrace the fact that I live in a diverse atmosphere. But how does renaming a street benefit a neighborhood?

It seems ridiculous to spend money changing street signs and max line names. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to the community if this money was used for after school programs or a neighborhood cleanup of sorts? Or maybe the money should be used in Oregon farming communities such as Forest Grove or Hillsboro to create a Cesar Chavez Memorial fund and carry on the migrant worker labor improvements he sought.