Pueblo coalition wants to honor MLK by renaming Pueblo Boulevard in his honor

A coalition of Pueblo organizations have presented a proposal to the city to rename Pueblo Boulevard as Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

The coalition, led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Pueblo branch, wants to honor the legacy of prominent American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s, fought against social inequality and became a lead figure in the civil rights movement.

Ron Wiley, a member of the NAACP Pueblo branch who serves on its executive committee, told the city that NAACP Pueblo has identified multiple roadways that are current candidates for a name change, but prefers renaming all of Pueblo Boulevard between Highway 50 and south toward Interstate 25.

“To honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy is more than listening to his speeches, but it is to take action to further his legacy and be more inclusive,” said Roxana Mack, president of the NAACP Pueblo branch. “This step will show the community, state and the nation several values that Martin Luther King Jr. stood for.”

Since King’s assassination in 1968, more than 900 streets in the United States and Puerto Rico have been named after him, according to a 2013 study by professor Derek Alderman. About 70% of those streets are in southeastern states, Alderman said in his report.

Alderman’s research also found that despite an increase in the number of streets dedicated to King, controversy around renaming a street after him remained, mainly from people seeking to protect their “turf,” “space” and “identity.”

Each Pueblo City Council member expressed support for the proposal, most notably Dennis Flores, who said a Pueblo street name change in King’s honor is “long overdue.”

“The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King resonates with us all — his passion for respect and our own individual, equal access to basic civil and human rights and love for all mankind,” Wiley said.

Wiley said the NAACP Pueblo branch previously explored using Central Avenue to designate a roadway in King’s honor, but it did not materialize. It then began discussions with the city and county to identify different options to bring the proposal to fruition and developed four candidates, he said.

Outside of the section between Highway 50 and I-25, other roadway options for a name change include the intersection of Pueblo Boulevard and Thatcher Avenue near Highway 50, the Troy Avenue and Highway 50 intersection heading north toward current developments around Colorado State University Pueblo and around exit 101 off I-25, and continuing south to the interchange at exit 102.

Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar suggested city staff could explore which addresses would be affected by a name change, and personally is in favor of a major street, such as Pueblo Boulevard, receiving one.

Council member Larry Atencio said he has received phone calls and emails from business owners with addresses on Pueblo Boulevard who expressed worry that a name change would be a detriment to them. He added there could be public pushback on the proposal, depending on which of the four candidates is chosen.

Pueblo Boulevard, also known as Colorado Highway 45, is managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, which would not cover any expenses necessary to remove and replace signage along that roadway to indicate a name change, said Bob Wilson, a spokesperson for CDOT. The expense would have to be covered by whichever entity was trying to push the name change through, whether it's the city, county or a private group, he said.

For example, the naming of Ronald Reagan Highway, which runs through El Paso County for a portion of I-25, was paid for by the El Paso County Republican Party, Wilson said.

Wilson also said renaming all of Pueblo Boulevard between the Highway 50 intersection and south toward I-25 would be labor intensive because it would require changing signs at every intersection. Business owners and residences with properties on Pueblo Boulevard would also have to change their addresses, though most, if not all, of those properties are commercial buildings.

"The time is now to be impactful," Wiley said. "That's something the community and the local NAACP Pueblo branch have talked and thought about for some time. It is sufficient to say that we now have the effort and support of people that are available to push this forward."

At least a few Front Range cities have named their roadways in honor of King. Denver has Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which runs through northeast Denver, and Colorado Springs has the Martin Luther King Jr. Bypass near the southeastern part of the city and named an elementary school after him.

The NAACP Pueblo branch on Monday will host the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community March in partnership with CSU-Pueblo, El Pueblo History Museum and Pueblo Ministerial Fellowship. The march starts at noon in front of the Rawlings Library, heads down Union Avenue and ends at the El Pueblo History Museum, where community service opportunities will be available.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo coalition wants to honor MLK by renaming Pueblo Boulevard