ORDINANCE NO. 250202
title
Sponsor: Councilmember Melissa Robinson
Changing the name of Troost Avenue to Truth Avenue effective six months after passage of this Ordinance; reducing the Contingent Appropriation by $50,000.00 in the General Fund; appropriating that amount to the Public Works-Street Sign account of the General Fund; using the appropriated funds to change street signs and other markers along Troost Avenue once effective, directing the City Manager to engage residents, property owners, and community stakeholders about changing the name of N. Troost Avenue and to return to Council with feedback within eight months; and directing the City Manager to establish an archival program to ensure the preservation and history of the Troost corridor by working with residents, stakeholders, and preservation organizations to establish and implement the program.
body
WHEREAS, memorials, monuments, and symbols are a form of symbolic capital and denote the distinction and status that a name brings to a certain place and the people associated with it; and
WHEREAS, place names evoke powerful images, connotations, and symbolism that contribute to a sense of place in geography, history, and society and reflect larger social disputes about who has the authority to create, define, interpret, and represent collective pasts through place; and
WHEREAS, commemorative place names, including street, boulevard, and parkway names that celebrate or honor individuals who enslaved persons, promoted racism, or participated in the oppression or dehumanization of others reinforce racial or economic boundaries of the past; and
WHEREAS, symbols and place names honoring such individuals can function as a form of symbolic violence and amplify racial inequities in society caused by systemic racism; and
WHEREAS, these symbols can demean nearby residents and trigger or provoke psychological trauma in communities harmed by racial ex...
Click here for full text