The Street That Was: How San Diego Reversed MLK Way
The Year is 1986, Eddie Murphy’s “Party all the time” is being constantly played on 92.5 FM (San Diego’s prominent Black Radio Station). And Although San Diego was dealing with the crack epidemic like many other big cities in the United States at the time, black business was booming. Market street starting in Downtown San Diego, and ending at Euclid Avenue makes it’s way through many diverse neighborhoods and along with Imperial avenue historically was a main vein of black business. So in April of 1986, William D. Jones along with the other council representatives decided to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his many accomplishments by renaming Market Street to MLK Way. Name one Major City in these here United States that doesn’t have an MLK way or Blvd? I’ll wait.
Everything was cool, calm and copesthetic until a group of haters decided to get together and launch the: Keep Market Street Initiative Committee. Long story short a group of business owners and residents who are now on the wrong side of history, came up with excuses like “its inconvenient to change the address on our business materials and that the historical significance of Market Street should be preserved”. I don’t know about y’all but that just sound like straight up hate to me. What it really was, was this: I chose to have my business here and buy a house here, because my rent and mortgage would be cheaper, and now that I’ve successfully marketed to, and got rich off the black and brown communities, I no longer want to be associated with them. Whew that’s a whole lot of hating now isn’t it folks? Two of the main business that pushed Prop F on the November Ballot that year were, Salazar’s Mexican restaurant which closed its doors in 2017 (good riddance) and Jerome’s Furniture store. How’ you gonna have a name like Jerome’s and not want to be associated with black people? The nerve of you people! In November of 1986 Prop F passed with a 60% vote and in early 1987 San Diego became the first, and only city to ever remove the name Martin Luther King from a street name! But wait, it gets even crazier and more hypocritical.
Back in 1983 MLK Day was signed into law as a federal holiday by President Ronald Reagan, and Arizona was the only state to not recognize the day as a federal holiday. So when the bid for the 1988 SuperBowl came down to San Diego and Arizona , San Diego won the Bid because people were already threatening to boycott the superbowl if it were to take place in Arizona. So yes Martin Luther King Jr was the reason why San Diego was able to win the bid and have the Superbowl here in the first place. So for San Diego to win the bid because of MLK and then remove his name, is straight up trash, in my opinion.
SuperBowl XXII between the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos was hosted here in America’s Finest city and Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to win a Superbowl. The economic impact that this had on local business and the hospitality industry in San Diego was roughly 100 million dollars. I’m sure Salazar’s was busy during superbowl weekend that year!
In 1989, the City of San Diego probably still reeling in the shame of what it had done, came up with an alternative way to honor Dr. King, a portion of State Route 94 was designated as the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway. Gee thanks guys, we really appreciate the mural of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Side of the freeway!
In 1997, San Diego opened the MLK Jr. Promenade, located not too far from market street, and the convention center downtown. As lovely as the Promenade is, and although it is a nice gesture, it doesn’t begin to equate to actually having an actual REAL STREET named after an American Treasure, such as MLK Jr. Shame on San Diego, for this egregious act. But Americas Finest City, never ceases to amaze me. But much like peeling back the layers of an onion, uncovering the wrongs that have yet to be righted in this cities history, is a never ending battle.
Thanks for your time , and Namaste My Ninjas.
D.Banks.