In Zephyrhills, some 100 people picket at City Hall against the City Council's 3-2 vote to return the Sixth Avenue designation.
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published April 30, 2004
[Times photos: Lance Rothstein]
Elaine Jones, center, of Lakeland and Mae Pickett, right, of Zephyrhills, walk along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Zephyrhills on Thursday with other demonstrators picketing to keep the pressure on City Council members who voted to change the road's name back to Sixth Avenue.
Supporters of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Zephyrhills joined hands in prayer at City Hall before picketing. Their efforts drew both support and derision from onlookers. Mary Jo Melone: Missing signs point way to town's path of prejudice
ZEPHYRHILLS - Diane Parker's interest in the fiery controversy around the naming of Sixth Avenue after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is simple.
"I want to support the black community. That's why it's important to me," said the 63-year-old white retiree from Michigan. "I see that it's important to them."
Parker joined an estimated crowd of 100 at City Hall on Thursday afternoon protesting the City Council's 3-2 vote this week to revoke the name honoring King and restore the Sixth Avenue designation.
At that meeting, City Manager Steve Spina was the only white person to address the council in favor of the King name.
Thursday painted a more unified picture.
At least 20 white and Hispanic people joined the picket. Dozens of white, as well as black, motorists honked and waved as they drove by pickets waving signs at several downtown intersections.
Others clearly felt differently, shouting "Go home!" and holding up six fingers as they passed.
The picket appeared to have some impact. Blanche Benford, one of the organizers, said council President Clyde Bracknell had agreed to meet with her group next week.
Bracknell and Cathi Compton both supported a motion by newly elected member Gina King to restore the Sixth Avenue name.
Benford said she was waiting for a call from Compton and hoped to meet with her this weekend. She said she does not plan to try to meet with Gina King, figuring her stance is unlikely to change.
Protesters convened on the steps of City Hall at 1 p.m., beginning with a prayer. They held up signs made at a party the night before:
"We shall overcome. We believe in his dream."
"King vs. King. One giveth, the other taketh away."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blame it on THE GRID."
Pat Burke stood on Seventh Street holding up the mission statement of the Zephyrhills Unity Initiative, a group formed to address racial rifts after the street was renamed for King last fall.
"I don't think discrimination - blatant or subtle - should be an unchallenged community value," said Burke, who is white and lives in Crystal Springs.
Jerry Pricher, a teacher at Stewart Middle School for 26 years, said he failed to understand the arguments against honoring the slain civil rights leader.
"It's time we honored Martin Luther King. I can't imagine anyone of good will not wanting to honor the man," said Pricher, who also is white.
He stood outside City Hall with three of his students from Stewart. One of them, Sarah Stromberg, lives on the street at the heart of the controversy.
"They named it (after King) for a reason," said the 13-year-old white student. "It's very important. He was one of the great speakers."
Arguments came from the other side of the debate, too.
Rj Morgan, who ran for City Council in opposition to the street renaming and lost by one vote, called the protest "curious."
"My belief is that the word "equal' means equal, not special," Morgan said. "I think these folks out here are demanding special treatment."
Mary Jo Melone: 