King Memorial

Your Jan. 21 story by Lisa R. Omphroy on the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial issue neglected to include the Martin Luther King Tribute Coalition’s point of view (“Promenade Dedication Honors King”).

The coalition represents more than 30 local community groups, businesses, churches, labor unions, environmental organizations and community leaders.

Ms. Omphroy’s article fallaciously concludes that the Centre City Development Corp.’s naming of a median strip between the trolley tracks and Harbor Drive as a memorial to Dr. King puts an end to the controversy over the MLK tribute issue.

The MLK Tribute Coalition has been working since 1989 to raise public and media awareness regarding our position that the City Council should (and has failed thus far to) designate a major city street or building as a fitting and proper memorial to Martin Luther King Jr.

Our coalition seeks a significant street or building to adequately honor Dr. King--only to replace that which has been taken from or denied the people of San Diego: 1) Martin Luther King Way and 2) MLK Convention Center.

The MLK Tribute Coalition insists this action be taken by the City Council, since it was the mayor and council that promised San Diego would name a major tribute to Dr. King following removal of the Martin Luther King Way signs in 1987.

Be assured that the MLK memorial controversy is not finished as far as we are concerned. Understand that the so-called “linear park” or promenade is a CCDC-initiated project and cannot be considered a true city tribute to Dr. King, because it was not initiated by the City Council and it is not being undertaken by the city.

We encourage any citizen or news person to visit the narrow strip of land that is being called a “park,” near 5th Avenue and Harbor Drive, take a look across the street at the huge new Convention Center, and ask yourself if the “park” really compares to what we would have had if that building had been named for Dr. King.

Councilman George Stevens was correct when he said in The Times article, “I see this as a beginning . . . we still have a long way to go.”

Our coalition welcomes recognition of Dr. King by the CCDC and any private or public groups, but the so-called linear park simply does not qualify as a suitable city tribute.

Furthermore, the failed proposal to name a school at UC San Diego for Dr. King would not have been a city tribute. The short stretch of California 94 named for Dr. King was an action taken by the state Legislature, not the City Council.

We appeal to the mayor and council to finally and directly confront the MLK tribute issue.

They cannot be allowed to relegate the responsibility to some private, or even a quasi-public, agency. We believe the African-American community and the community at large expects more from our city leaders.

JIM JACOBSON, Martin Luther King Tribute Coalition