Council Votes to Find a New King Memorial

Hoping to quell anger in the black community, the San Diego City Council on Monday unanimously decided to find a new memorial for Martin Luther King Jr.

The resolution, which put the council on record in favor of a memorial for the slain civil rights leader, was introduced by Mayor Maureen O’Connor in the wake of last week’s citywide vote to strip King’s name from a downtown thoroughfare and reinstitute the name of Market Street. Nearly 60% of those voting approved the change.

Black leaders say they were stung by the vote and called last week for convention groups to boycott San Diego as a gathering place. They also organized a march of about 1,000 people Sunday, saying they want a period of mourning over the vote and do not favor having the city move too quickly in seeking another street or public structure to name for King.

Committee to Be Formed

O’Connor’s office said last week that the mayor will appoint a 10- to 15-member committee of people chosen from throughout the city to make recommendations for a memorial. Suggestions so far have included the waterfront convention center, which is under construction; a proposed downtown government center; a proposed downtown library; the Coronado Bridge, and the Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park.

A spokesman for the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau said Monday that no groups that have booked gatherings at the new convention center have indicated they want to withdraw. For many of them, he said, such an action would incur an economic penalty because they have signed contracts with area hotels.

The council, in April, 1986, approved by a 6-1 vote a measure to rename Market Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way, saying that the route symbolized economic revitalization.

Merchants along the 6.5-mile stretch immediately voiced concerns about the loss of local history, as well as the cost and inconvenience of changing the name on their business stationery and other items.

In April of this year, the council decided to let voters choose whether to reverse the city’s action after the Keep Market Street Initiative Committee presented the city clerk’s office with almost 80,000 signatures requesting the ballot measure.