By far this is the smartest written analysis we've seen on the Save The Paseo election victory over MLK Blvd. We're highlighting and linking this public post passage in order to share some of the complex reasoning regarding this issue from urban core denizens and voters working to understand the contradictory implications of the vote.
Once again, this rising, local political star demonstrates superior intellect and keen insight in her nuanced perspective.
Checkit:
Michele L. Watley Shares Her Perspective On MLK Blvd Vs. Save The Paseo Vote Aftermath
Don't tell me that race was not a factor at all. It's in there, some of y'all just missed it.
When clergy and other Black led political orgs/leaders flexed their political muscle during a mayoral election cycle in which several members of the city council were running for the seat (because at what other time would council members consider this proposition...) to push for the street name change, they did so without building a strong base of support in the Black community along the Paseo. While there were committee hearings and listening sessions, clergy and Black org leaders have direct access to the Black community and could have leveraged that connection to ensure buy in and support from the Black community.
A Black vote to save the Paseo was likely a vote to let clergy and other Black led political orgs/leaders know that enough is enough. Black people who voted to save the Paseo are not pawns, or dumb, or Toms. They are simply fed up with those in "leadership" and rightfully so. And had clergy and other Black led political orgs/leaders gained the support of the community, the undercurrent of racism would have been easier to spot.
When clergy and Black led political orgs/leaders hit residents with that flex, and were successful in their bid to change the street name (a street in a rapidly gentrifying area btw), the response was what we see around the country when there are efforts to change streets to honor MLK. (Data and research wonks - google Derek Alderman)
Arguments regarding cost, location, preserving Kansas City’s history, the say of Paseo residents, and the negative perception the comes with living on a MLK boulevard rang loud and clear - as they do in every city that has considered a MLK blvd - but the loudest argument was based on the process used to pass the ordinance.
And when it came time to mobilize, dissenters didn’t seek to challenge or change the process that they claimed was illegal and fraudulent - the process that led to the name change. And although they claimed there were better ways to honor MLK, they have yet to champion a plan to do so. They filed a petition to change the name back, leaving the decision up to the entire city to decide.
A vote to save the Paseo was a vote to preserve tradition and history at all cost - even if it meant that the entire nation would view our beloved city as racist, to circumvent the will of the residents by allowing those who would not be directly impacted to be in on the decision making process, and was an attempt to retaliate against clergy and other Black led political orgs/leaders for having the audacity to assert their political power by getting the ordinance passed.
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Read her post in its entirety.
You decide . . .
Absolutely agree that black clergy dropped the ball here. Beyond that, if you don't have funding you don't get votes. The revs didn't run a campaign save for calling everyone racist. You can win with that, not even in KC.
ReplyDeleteMahoney said it best and very simply: Kansas City likes the Paseo.
DeleteWe rarely get a vote on historic preservation and this was an important vote to show that residents do care about that sort of thing.
Bully mentality pushing this through without the citizens voting on it, its all about the city council wanting to do what they want and disregarding what the people want.
ReplyDeleteAnd then to throw the racism tag on it because the MLK name was voted down, shame on you city council.
Here is a letter I wrote to Steve Kraske, but it will work for this lady too.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr Kraske,
The Metoo# girls might want you to hold off on naming that Fountain after MLK Mr. Kraske. In 2027, FBI Tapes will be released, of the Communist, philandering, rapist, Martin Luther King, laughing and encouraging a Baptist pastor, named Logan Kearse, as he raped a young girl.
https://news.yahoo.com/martin-luther-king-laughed-rape-friend-fbi-documents-145714868.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/martin-luther-king-rape-fbi-tapes-video-mlk-laugh-files-a8932206.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-tapes-allege-mlk-watched-rape-2019-5
I get it, that many of our heroes have clay feet, but that Metoo# Grrrrrl power is significant with your female homies on the left Mr. Kraske and a pound of prevention might save you a ton of embarrassment if you are the tip of the spear in this, another virtue signalling paroxysm from the lofty heights of Mount Kansas City Star, where the “High Ground” for the high minded births so many noble causes.
I have no way of knowing for sure, but I betcha most black people who actually live on the Paseo, did NOT want a name change, for the obvious reason. It would kill property values.
No doubt, you are chagrined at having to pass at an opportunity to stir up division and call us all “Racists”, but the only color folks were probably thinking about here, was Green.
Besides, you phony Progressive poseur, you have never needed an excuse to call anyone who disagrees with your politics a “Racist” anyway, so have at it!
"Don't tell me that race was not a factor at all. It's in there, some of y'all just missed it."
ReplyDeleteRace was not a factor at all.
I want to know if we get the $100,000 returned we had to pay to the King family to use the name?
ReplyDeleteWatley says dissenters have yet to champion a better way to honor MLK. Well, it’s obviously not their choice or responsibility to do so.
ReplyDeleteIf those who pushed through the change were all white, I would have been out gathering signatures just the same.
ReplyDeletestart petition to rename clever Blvd. !!!
ReplyDeleteDont forget, these same Revs and political organizations (Freedom Inc namely) did this same maneuver with East Patrol. That project also did not have community, neighborhood or residents (affected) support, either. VERNON COWARD, JOHN MILES AND MARK TOLBERT (AND quietly James the felon Tindall) were hoping theyd have the support. And all of these preachers have rapidly dwindling congregations. Once again... always focused on self-enrichment rather than the needs of the community. The days of preachers speaking for an entire race of people are numbered.
ReplyDeleteI am a dissenter on MLK Bkvd and its not a desire, want or priority to name anything else after Dr. King. I am not real certain why this rose to the top of the list of any priorities. We cant get our trash picked up on a regular and consistent basis. Naming a street after King isnt even in the top 100 things to address. So, I offer no alternative. If push come to shove they can name their personal driveways in honor of King. Dont bother the masses with this kind of nonsense especially given that there are more pressing issues in front of us.
ReplyDeleteKCMO has a 42 acre, 1,829,520 square feet, park along Brush creek named after MLK which the city does not maintain. If citizens want a way to honor MLK they should petition the city to maintain and improve the park.
ReplyDeleteFacilities should be installed which would allow a quick dump to go directly into Brush creek. Improvements should be such that families want to go to the park. Even if it was improved and maintained it would be quickly torn up.
Place a statue of MLK in the park, near Brush creek, overlooking the entrance to the park so visitors will see it every time they enter the park. This would also be a safe place for all the failed feel good organizations to hold their balloon releases and vigils.
1115-
DeleteGood idea!
I’m opposed to any kind of honor for a philandering plagiarist. He is not worthy of being honored.
ReplyDeleteJust one look at the comments and you can see how truly racist this city really is. There is NO overlooking it.
ReplyDeleteThe real reason Black voters decided in favor of restoring The Paseo name:
ReplyDelete1. Fraud perpetuated by the Black Revs
2. The Paseo, highlights a high school that is now predominantly Black and ties into our rich history
3. It’s a non-priority.
4. Whites/Blacks alike feel like the wrong street was selected for this type of whimsical issue.
5. Dr. King has had many things in Kansas City named after him and mostly all of them have fallen in disrepair, closed or not maintained by the City: Martin Luther King Hospital (25th Brooklyn) MLK Junior High School (43rd Indiana), MLK Park (unknown location)
6. What is the fascination with slapping this man’s name on everything? I don’t get it. The people don’t get it.
11:34am Define racist. How exactly are you using this term. It’s clearly not the intended use. Because racist doesn’t mean generally disagree. And the way you’re using the term appears to be that anybody who disagreed with the name change is racist but you’re not providing any proof of that - you’re just blanketing everybody a racist because they have a different opinion than yours. There’s no denying you might need a mental health check up.
ReplyDeleteFirst sentence is it's about racism then spends two pages explaining it's because the black leaders didn't strike their black base. Was it whiteys racism or incompetent black leaders?
ReplyDelete11:25, more than any other single person save perhaps Lincoln, Dr. King changed America - for the better.
ReplyDeleteWhen will the city council began the proper procedure to name a street after this great American hero?
Is Kansas City a racist city? The jury's still out, but it doesn't look good. It depends on whether you name a street after Dr. King, & if not, then why not?
Lincoln,the hero of the left who imprisoned anti war advocates,put a ban on at the time the largest newspaper in the United States because of editors speaking out about his policys,and reroute telegram routes to avoid any negative criticism...Lincoln,the first frew speech enemy of the state.
DeleteTry renaming an east-west numbered street, say 27th (the original north-south race divider), 39th, 55th or 63rd streets. Then get back to us. Don't mess with named streets.
ReplyDelete10:43: Would you please substantiate that Kansas City paid $100K to use the King name? Methinks thou hast drunk too much Kellyanne Conway Kool Aid.
ReplyDelete@11:25, nobody is advocating naming anything after Donald J. Trump!
ReplyDeleteByron you sack a shit he did no such fucking thing. King for as much good as he maybe did he did as much bad. Why don't you pull your head out of your ass once in a while. No wonder your family wants nothing to do with your sorry ass for many years. I have seen black sheep in a family but none of them can hold a candle to the scaming lying hate you put forth.
ReplyDeleteRemember when Byron was saying all those against the name change were a bunch of white racist people. Ha Ha we proved that retard wrong again. The people if all colors spoke here in Kansas City against the MLK name change. But nooooooooo, hillbilly boy Funkhouser was name calling Chuck, Hyper, Unknow, Dave and many others as being a bunch of racists nazi pigs.
ReplyDeleteOnly racist pig I see is Byron and he has the smell to back it.
bLIEron, there’s no doubt that this whole thing started because of racism, black racism, it exists in killa shitty all day everyday, particularly every Sunday in black churches in kc and all over the country, the hate for whitey spewed in these places of worship is unfuckingbelievable, just ask your bestus buddy Barry, he knows all about it.
ReplyDelete@11:45\Any time night or day would rather drink the Kellyanne Conway's Kool Aid than the NAMBLA-Nancy Pelosi's Poison Harry Hay......
ReplyDelete^^^ +10000000
ReplyDeleteIt must be done to “save kc” let’s get’er done!
As long as Dems run cities, everything is going to revolve around style over substance. Important things like trash pickup, good schools, sidewalk and street maintenance, a working sewer system, etc., will always take a back seat to expensive, flashy stuff like a useless mini-tram, and renaming streets after MLK.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a duty to honor mlk. Saying we do is disingenuous
ReplyDeleteBottom line. KC citizens have had ENOUGH of KCMO City leaders. This was nothing more than a big FUCK YOU for years of incompetent leadership. We’ll vote each one of you out of office soon.
ReplyDeleteWhy the f__k do we have to name more crap after MLK ? Isn't a park and a school enough ? This poor me race baiting crap is getting tiring. Leave it alone, like picking at a scab.
ReplyDeleteSo now some idiot was on tv saying he wants jc Nichols renamed to mlk because he was racist, he wasn’t racist, he did what everybody else did back then, this was common in all cities across the us.
ReplyDeleteTime to give it up people, this thing has lost 3 times already, nobody especially the blacks want it, remember, they’ve voted it down three times now.
Oh come on she's a Bernie freak.
ReplyDeleteOh Brother.....
ReplyDeleteSo MS Bernie Watley is against racism while attacking others for supposedly being racist? That makes a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteThe Black church is no longer a hub for anything. It hasn't been that way in years. And I dont think churchs are anymore sacred than strip clubs. These places have survived on historical references but is dying based on current hypocricies, fraud and propaganda. Admit it, the preachers were out of line. A regular person would have gotten his ass whipped over lesser transgressions... or worse.
ReplyDeleteHer take was just another attempt to make something racial when it was not. She lost. Kansas City tradition and history wins. This is one of those issues that make people forget about real problems on the east side and how incompetent the leadership is over there.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, please note that we have a J C Nichols Pkwy, named for an avowed racist. Why not fix that and change the name to MLK? Oh, I am sorry. That is waaaay too rational and just makes too much sense for our so-called leaders.
ReplyDelete"Rising Star" lol can we please get rid of that idiotic term already?
ReplyDelete^^^ do you think people that live on the plaza are going to let that happen, go ahead and try dummy. you’re an idiot
ReplyDeleteWell whats the blogger supposed to say 5:58 "Rising Turd" or something?
ReplyDelete5:51 ok, are you ready to go 0-4, can your pea brain handle that?
ReplyDelete5:51 Even your suggestion is racist. How ya like that sport?
ReplyDeleteSeveral things stand out in the final paragraph.
ReplyDeleteBullshit concern about how this "beloved" city is viewed by "the entire nation" brings back memories of Obama touring the world apologizing for the U.S., hoping folks would "like" us. The "entire nation" has absolutely no goddamn skin in the crapola game played every day in KC. In fact, most of the "nation" you speak of is in deep shit in dim run cities. We need their approval like a withered arm.
As far as "ALLOWING those who would not be directly impacted", meaning the population of the whole city, not just the core residents; you cannot have it both ways, crying victim-hood all the time because you feel isolated, then complaining when the entire voter community delivers a decision you don't like.
Kansas City already has a Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. It is an extension of The Paseo north of Independence Boulevard. It only goes on for a few blocks, but it is definitely there. So the claim that there is no such named street is total bullshit.
ReplyDeleteLeave my city alone. Hey....we could name something after Bill Clinton. He and MLK had a lot in common with the women. Yeah....the truth hurts. I want nothing whatsoever named after a rapist regardless of their color PERIOD!!!
ReplyDelete