Detroit’s Hart Plaza: Possible Name Change In The Works
City lawmakers in Detroit are considering the possibility of renaming Hart Plaza. They are contemplating changing its name to “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza,” as suggested by Councilmember Mary Waters. This proposal stems from the significant historical event when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered an early version of his “I Have A Dream” speech during the 1963 Freedom Walk, one of the most noteworthy moments held at the plaza.
City records indicate that Councilmember Mary Waters will be introducing a resolution this week proposing the renaming of Hart Plaza to “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.”
The vote on this proposed renaming is scheduled to take place after Labor Day, once council members return from their August recess. Before the vote, the resolution will be brought up for discussion at the Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee on Thursday.
Renaming Detroit’s Hart Plaza is on the table.
According to a statement made to the Detroit Free Press by Councilmember Waters, the initiative to rename Hart Plaza as “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza” came about from conversations she had with people in northwest Detroit who were “appalled by the violence” in the city.
“They wanted to see us have a place in Detroit that lived up to Dr. King’s mission of nonviolence, of peacefully welcoming all. What better place to embody the spirit of Dr. King than the site where he gave his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech?’ ” Waters said.
Established in 1975, the plaza has carried the name of the late U.S. Sen. Philip Hart, a leading advocate for the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and other anti-racism initiatives. Hart was once dubbed the “conscience of the Senate,” according to the NY Times.
In June, the city also revealed a statue of King standing at a podium in Hart Plaza. The resolution under consideration also includes a proposal to designate the plaza as a violence-free zone.
Top 5 Reasons Detroit Shouldn’t Be On The Ugliest Cities List
There are some cities across the U.S. that look stunning, while there are others that make you want to look the other way. A travel site has compiled a list of the ugliest cities in each state. When making them list they considered lack of maintenance and poor design choices.
In Michigan, one can find several beautiful places such as those with lakes, scenic views, waterfalls, and more. According to Alot Travel, a travel site, Detroit is considered one of the ugliest cities.
Why did they list Detroit as one of the “ugliest” cities?
Though Detroit is on the up and up, the travel site said that “It’s got a reputation for being a bad place to live, and it’s also a pretty ugly place to live too.” They even pulled a comment about the city from a Reddit user that said, “I mean, just look at a satellite map of Detroit. Once you leave the i94, m10, i75, i375 rectangle (the path that Woodward takes), it gets real ugly real fast.”
Many Detroit outsiders think of the city and instantly picture post-apocalyptic images of abandoned vehicles and crumbling homes, churches, and streets. While others may see Detroit as an ugly city, we know where to find beauty beyond what outsiders may believe.
Despite what their list says, what makes Detroit a beautiful city? The city’s culture, sense of community, low cost of living, options for entertainment, its outdoor scene, make it beautiful. Not only is it located in the Great Lakes state, but there are also stunning places to check out within Motor City.
See the full list of the ugliest cities from all 50 states here.
Here are 5 reasons why Detroit is not the ugliest city in Michigan.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
