I believe the movement to change the name of The Paseo to Martin Luther King Boulevard is starting to flag.
To me, it’s looking more and more like the new airport might be getting King’s name. Maybe Kansas City Martin Luther King Jr. International Airport.
I would be thrilled to see that happen. A bit surprisingly, no major U.S. airport has adopted King’s name, and the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous, with a terminal to be built at KCI and expected to open in 2022.
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On Saturday, I attended the last public hearing of the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Commission, which Mayor Sly James appointed a few weeks ago. The hearing was at the Marlborough Community Center, 82nd and The Paseo.
Before the commission heard from the speakers, co-chairman Rev. Donna Simon said the commission had narrowed the naming possibilities to three: the new airport; The Paseo; or an east-west street, such as Linwood Boulevard of 63rd Street. The panel will make a final recommendation by May 21.
About eight people, including me, addressed the commission. I told the commission I thought the name The Paseo was one of the great street names anywhere and that I would hate to see it pass from the scene in Kansas City. If any street was going to be renamed for Dr. King, I said, it should be Linwood, partly because it gets a much more diverse group of users and is seen by a wider cross-section of people.
I went on to say that we had a great opportunity, with construction of the new airport, to honor Dr. King’s legacy in a way that would resonate not just up and down the east side of Kansas City but with people from throughout the world who would fly in and out of our city.
In closing, I said: “I urge you not to think parochially. Instead, think big, think broad, think bold.”
That got nods from a couple of commissioners, which was encouraging.
Two or three other people said they favored putting Dr. King’s name on the new airport, and several said they were opposed to renaming The Paseo. One man, originally from Tulsa, suggested that because streets bearing Dr. King’s name in other cities were primarily inner city streets that changing The Paseo’s name to MLK Boulevard could further drive down housing values along that road.
Perhaps the most encouraging comments I heard were from former Councilman Ken Bacchus, a member of a group of black political leaders and black ministers who have started an initiative petition that could result in a public vote to change The Paseo’s name.
Bacchus said he didn’t like the idea of naming the new airport after Dr. King because when an airport has been named for an individual, it usually is because the individual made a big mark in that particular city. One example Bacchus cited was Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, which is named after two former Atlanta mayors, William B. Hartsfield and Maynard H. Jackson Jr.
I get his point, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that way. Like I said, no other big airport has been named for King, and it seems about time that should happen.
Where Bacchus pleasantly surprised me was when he indicated he was open to renaming an east-west street for King. Up to that point, I had been under the impression that he and the others advocating for a street name change were dead set on The Paseo. Bacchus also mentioned The Paseo but the fact that he opened the door to other streets indicated a possible softening of position by the black ministers and black political leaders.
That softening, if indeed that’s what it is, is probably due to two main factors: First, resistance to renaming The Paseo has been significant, and, second, Mayor James’ decision to roll out a blue-ribbon advisory commission had the dual effect of widening the ways of honoring Dr. King and blunting the momentum the black ministers and black political leaders had seized.
This photo was taken in Kansas City, Kansas, in January 1968. I got it from a story KCUR-FM ran last month. None of those with Dr. King were identified in the caption.
I became more convinced of the wisdom of naming the new airport for Dr. King after reading a letter to the editor in today’s Kansas City Star. Susan Annette Smith of Warrensburg said Kansas City, with its central location, was the perfect place to name an airport for Dr. King.
She went on to say:
“The terminal could house a cultural center for all Americans, sharing the stories of people who faced discrimination yet persisted. Kiosks could be placed throughout the airport to share the stories and artifacts of the Americans who fought and worked for the freedoms outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Welcome to the new Kansas City Martin Luther King Jr. Airport, where travelers celebrate Americans’ history, honor human diversity and share the stories.”
Great idea. Don’t just slap King’s name on the airport; make the airport reflect his soaring ideas and ideals. Imbue the airport with King’s aspirations for a higher level of civility and civilization. Make it a place where people can food for thought…as well as a good hamburger.
With imaginative ideas like those of Susan Smith, we could have a very special airport, with a unique tone and feel. Let’s go for it.
