An attempt to rename a street after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has resurfaced, with rumors now centering on Jackson Street as the recipient of the name change.
In years past, streets like Francis and High have been subject to the change. Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies said that this has been a 30-year long endeavor. “Since Carl Breeding’s days, and actually, pre-dating Carl Breeding there’s been a push from the NAACP to rename a street in the city honoring Dr. King,” Dobies said. “I’ve had conversations to leaders from the NAACP and other community leaders who’ve talked about that. It’s something they’ve been working on and advocating for over the last 30 years.”
For several years, Francis Street has held the late reverend’s name in honor during the month of February, with the hope that a more permanent solution would be found. “We’re still having conversations about that, and Carl was able to get working with some local individuals to get the honorary street up on Francis Street and was advocating for a permanent street name. I think that’s still a topic worthy of conversation.” Dobies said. Francis Street’s renaming was temporary for Black History Month until the council opted to keep the honorary signage up permanently until a street was formally renamed.
