GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids has dedicated two city streets after Martin Luther King Jr. and César Chávez.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in the early afternoon on Tuesday at Grandville Avenue and Franklin Street.
Dr. Derek King (Martin Luther King Jr.’s nephew), Paul Chávez (César Chávez’s son) and Mayor Rosalynn Bliss were in attendance, according to the city of Grand Rapids.
“These two great American leaders were change agents and were people of color," says Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack. "Having a chance to honor them is overdue and welcomed. Grand Rapids has grown today."
We’re told Moving Ahead for Remarkable Civil Rights Heroes (M.A.R.C.H.) proposed the streets to be renamed after Chávez and Dr. King before the Grand Rapids City Commission last year. The commission approved the streets' name changes on Oct. 12, 2021.
"To see the true meaning of diversity, whether in Grand Rapids or Kent County reflected, even in our street signs that didn’t initially include people of color, is a big deal," Womack adds. "Honoring their lives and legacy by boldly and jointly renaming these streets is a unifying act for our city. It promotes our shared goal of creating a welcoming environment for all.”
READ MORE: City votes to rename streets after Cesar Chavez and Dr. King
