"Almost all those who disrespected the group process by speaking out of turn, shouting, clapping, and waving signs were white people speaking against the change." Apparently Molly wasn't at the meetings or wasn't paying much attention. Clapping, shouting, etc. were seen by both those who support and oppose the street renaming. And what about all the non-white people who were there against the rename? They remained respectful while just the white people were rude? I don't think so.

"Hearing the word “racism” at the community forums was upsetting to many white people. Maybe they’re thinking of the KKK. . . ", "White people" are going to think of the KKK because that is what the speaker, supporting the renaming, called those of us who are against the name change.

Everyone needs to listen to the impact of words and deeds, not just "white people".

Opponents argue that it would be a "burden" on local businesses. How? In what way? Changing letterhead, stationary, business cards? Do they all have lifetime supplies of stationary, etc? The name change won't go into effect immediately; businesses can gradually change stationery, etc. As supplies run out, new stationery can be printed with the new street name. It's no big deal.

The words from MLK below are from http://cesarechavezboulevard.com/

"The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience but where they stand in moments of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King, JR.

"they also include more subtle forms of discrimination,
under-representation, and stereotyping, of which many
white people are unaware."

This made me laugh.

David, the name change would be a financial burden on busineses on Interstate. It is a big deal to businesses. Especially hard hit would be small, local bussinesses. David, I would suggest talking to a business owners on Interstate. For businesses to keep customers and reduce confusion it would be important for them to change their stationary, website, business cards, fleets of cars, promotional materials, etc., rather quickly. Yes, they officially have a few years, but that was supposed to be the case with Portland Blvd and the freeways signs for Portland Blvd are already gone. I'm not even sure what all the businesses named after Interstate would do.

Molly, you make many good points. My question is why this neighborhood? Is North Portland the only area of the city where "white people need to acknowledge our unearned race-based privileges in history and in the present"?

You, and many other proponents of the name change acknowledge that any street name change is disruptive and upsetting. So why focus on North Portland when looking to re-name streets? We just went through the Portland Blvd change, why another change here? I would even make the suggestion that other areas of Portland (ie, the West Hills) have benefitted more from "unearned race-based privileges" then those living in North Portland.

To David Miller: I assume from your response that you are not a business owner. The reality is that businesses will have to respond immediately to a street name change - and the effects and costs go far beyond re-printing business cards.

Read the memo, Gerry. Because Potter's got the votes.

I think one of the steps that needs to be taken to curb this talk of racism is for people to stop thinking of everything in terms of race. The major dividing line in this country is not race, it is class. Take a look around Boone County, West Virginia, Everett Wa., outer S.E. Portland, and tell me that poor white folks have it any better than poor colored folks. I think the notion of white privelige is racist in and of itself. People who come from money are the only priveliged ones. This kind of talk about privelege does nothing but help foster the whole "us and them" mentality.

Yeah, right. Whites can't have friends of color without tokenizing and objectifying.
And the letter from a staff member of the Mayors office that calls the history of Interstate as that of "roach motels" certainly isn't racist, just because they are all owned by East Indians. One is even owned by Mrs. Patel.
The latino woman who was to stand with Mrs. Patel was called a derogatory name by a member of the Chavez Committee prior to the start of the meeting, was intimidated and left. Would she have been judged the same way?
Let me know when the rule book "How To Be A Good White Person" is published so I can behave proper.

I think we are missing the most blatant example of racism and discrimination--that's right the Cesar Chavez Committee itself. There is not a single white person on it! What a bunch of KKKers...