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‘City ^/Roses’
Volume XLIV
Number 18
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Wednesday • April 30, 2014
The community celebrates the 25th anniversary of the naming of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
25 Yearsa Name
D onovan M. S mith
T he P ortland O bserver
by
25 years past, over 2,000 citizens signed a
petition, and various civic organizations
revolutionary reverend, revered in both successfully appealed to bring his name to
he country that spawned his dream for the heart of Portland’s black community.
human equality and across the globe where
April 20,1989 was the date.
the sobering truth of injustice still rings true
In commemoration of this successful ap­
for many, Martin Luther King Jr. holds a peal to rename Union Avenue to Martin
name of great weight even in his passing 46 Luther King Boulevard, the King Neighbor­
years ago.
hood Association, World Arts Foundation,
A
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
photo by D onovan
M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
Anniversary is a reminder
of challenges that remain
and the Northeast Coalition of Neighbor­
hoods held a celebration at the Blazers Boys
and Girls Club, fittingly located at 5250 N.E.
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Saturday.
A highlight of commemoration was the
raising of a new United States flag in front of
the club to replace a flag that has flown
tattered for years.
The neighborhoods around the boule-
vard have experienced great change over the
years, but painfully the displacement of Af­
rican Americans from the area has dashed
some of the optipusm that came with the
name change.
US Census data shows that tracks of
housing that were once majority black have
continued
on page 4