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Wednesday
November 6, 2019
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Kansas City to vote on removing King's name from street

By MARGARET STAFFORD
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Kansas City residents will
decide whether the city
will remove the name of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
from one of its most his-
toric boulevards, less than
a year after the street was
renamed for the civil rights
icon.
Voters on Tuesday con-
sidered a ballot question
that would reverse a city
council decision in January
to name a 10-mile (16.1 kil-
ometer) boulevard on the
city's mostly black east side
for King and restore the
original name,
The Paseo.
The council's decision to
rename the street for King
came after years of ad-
vocacy from mostly black
civic leaders and, at the
time, meant Kansas City
would shed its reputa-
tion as one of the largest
U.S. cities without a street In this Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, photo, people wearing "Save The Paseo" shirts stand among attendees at a rally to keep a street named
named for King. in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Paseo Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. Associated Press
But a group of residents in-
tent on keeping The Paseo divisive, with supporters of through without following the "Save the Paseo" group They walked into the Paseo
name began collecting King's name accusing op- proper procedures and staged a silent protest at Baptist Church and stood
petitions to put the name ponents of being racist, also ignored The Paseo's a get-out-the-vote rally at along its two aisles.
change on the ballot and while supporters of The Pa- historic value. a black church for people
achieved that goal in April. seo name say city leaders Emotions reached a peak wanting to keep the King Continued on Page 2
The campaign has been pushed the name change Sunday, when members of name.